The Truth Doesn't Always Reveal The Answers
by InherentlyGray
Summary: Post curse, deviates mid-episode 2x1 Broken. What happens if Emma and Mary Margaret don't get sucked through the hat with the wraith and never go to the Enchanted Forest? Emma has difficulty coping with the aftermath of the curse. She promised Henry she would protect Regina, but in doing so, their relationship takes an unexpected turn. (SwanQueen)
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own OUAT or any of the characters. Feedback/comments are appreciated. Enjoy!**

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><p>David was thrashing wildly at the wraith with his homemade torch, but it was quickly becoming clear that he would not be able to keep its attention much longer. Mary Margaret doused the rails with the contents of a bottle of scotch she spotted on a nearby table. David lit the rails with his torch, creating a small barrier of flames in an effort to provide Regina a few more moments to activate the hat.<p>

"Hurry!" he urged to Emma who was standing with her arm out protectively behind Regina, watching her helplessly as she continued to spin the hat to no avail.

"It's not working!" Regina yelled to Emma over her shoulder.

"What is the problem?" Emma asked Regina frantically, darting a panicked glance back at the wraith, which was still lunging rabidly at David, becoming increasingly hungry for its prey.

"Magic…its different here…" Regina exhaled, coming to the understanding that much like when her and Jefferson struggled to activate the hat to retrieve the sleeping curse, she may not have enough magic to activate it now.

"Now would be the time!" yelled David, jabbing at the wraith again with his torch.

Regina, frozen with the realization that these would likely be her last few moments alive, was staring helplessly at the hat within her grasp. As she took a deep breath and resolved to attempt one final spin, Emma crouched down beside her and took hold of her arm. Emma had realized that they were running out of time and instinctively reached to console and protect the brunette against whatever was to come.

Regina spun the hat one last time, but this time it instantaneously activated and spun uncontrollably, emanating the distinct purple hue of magic.

Regina, and Emma, completely baffled by what had happened, searched each other's eyes for answers. They both felt it – the sudden surge of warmth and tingling that coursed through their bodies and into the hat. It was unlike anything either of them had ever felt.

As the portal began to expand on the floor in front of them, they finally broke apart and staggered backward, just as David was flung violently aside by the wraith.

"It's coming!" David warned, as the wraith darted forward towards its mark.

Regina's gaze was lost in the portal, while Emma was staring at her outstretched hands - both perplexed by the residual effects of their touch that continued to ebb through them. Emma instinctively looked back right before the wraith was about to strike.

"Regina!" she yelled, as lunged at Regina to push her out of the path of the wraith.

They narrowly escaped its grasp by mere inches, landing in a pile of tangled limbs in the corner, while the wraith was sucked downward, disappearing into the void of the portal. Emma shielded Regina with her body, eyes squeezed shut, heart pounding out of her chest, waiting to hear signs of calm – that the wraith was gone, the portal was closed, and that everything would be alright.

She hadn't realized how tightly or how long she was clutching Regina until Mary Margaret ran over and yanked her off of her.

"Emma! Honey! Are you alright?" Mary Margaret said as she frantically inspected Emma for any signs of injury.

Emma, still dazed by the turn of events could only mutter, "Yeah…I think so?" She looked over to find that the portal was gone and the hate was resting lifelessly on the floor once again.

Regina began pulling herself slowly off the floor, smoothing out her blazer and running a hand through her hair, when David leapt over the railing and pulled both Emma and Mary Margaret into a tight embrace.

Regina looked up and caught Emma's gaze. She was tightly constricted within the arms of her parents but continued to stare at Regina with wide eyes and a furrowed brow. Uncomfortable with the overt display of Charming sentimentality and the intensity of the look in Emma's eyes, her first instinct was to flee. She began moving hastily towards the nearest exist when she was interrupted.

"Regina, wait!" Emma called to her desperately, as she forcibly untangled herself from her parent's suffocating embrace and took a few strides towards Regina. Upon hearing Emma call out she spun on her heel and turned to face her, causing her hair to flip around and fall effortlessly and flawlessly back into place.

Regina stood there helplessly, never more uncertain of her fate. Her heart was pounding in her throat and her mouth was suddenly as dry as sandpaper. She swallowed, unable to look away from Emma, as the look of genuine concern in her piercing hazel eyes was the only thing keeping her from running. Even though the wraith was disposed of, that wasn't the last of the threats that would be made against her life. Against her better judgment, Emma made her want to stay – to at least her what she wished to say.

"Emma, stay away from her!" David commanded, taking a step towards Emma and grabbing her arm and pulling her back.

Emma yanked her arm away in disgust and spat dismissively, "You gave up your right to order me around when you stuffed me in a tree trunk and shipped me off to Maine!"

Mary Margaret gasped in shock at Emma's outburst. Her hands flung up intuitively to cover her mouth, and tears began welling up in her eyes. "But honey, we did it to give you your best chance!" she pleaded.

Emma shook her head vigorously in disagreement. "No, you banished your newborn to a life of pain, loneliness and abandonment to save your own ass!"

"Emma, -" David tried to explain, but Emma cut him off immediately by getting into his face.

" – No! You don't get to try and justify anything to me. I was the one who spent 28 years wondering why my parents dumped me on the side of the road in the middle of fucking Maine like yesterday's trash! You don't get to step in after all this time and pretend like none of it ever happened! You were cursed so you never had to endure any pain for sending me away - but for my entire life I have always been an orphan!" Emma ranted, her chest heaving up and down, frantically trying to gain control of her emotions.

David and Mary Margaret were so devastated by what Emma had said that they were paralyzed where they stood, mouths gaping open, unable to utter a word in response.

Emma felt a hand on her shoulder from behind, and turned to see that it was Regina. Emma felt her body begin to relax, and she struggled to gather her thoughts. Once Regina felt the tension in Emma's arm starting to abate, she quickly dropped her hand to avoid any additional conflict.

Emma took a deep breath and addressed all of them much more calmly. "Gold has to answer for this. He brought magic back to Storybrooke and he sent the wraith after Regina. He's the real threat here."

David replied defiantly, "Gold will be confronted for what he has done here, but Emma, even though I disagree with his methods, Regina is dangerous and she cannot be left on her own to inflict more terror on the people of Storybrooke."

Regina finally spoke up in an effort to break the assault away from Emma, who was visibly distraught. "As much as I appreciate your efforts in banishing the wraith, _shepherd_, any idiot can see that magic works differently here. I don't wield the same kind of magic that I did back in the Enchanted Forest, nor do I honestly care what becomes of you, Mary Margaret, or any of the other imbeciles in this town. I tired of torturing you around the time I adopted my son."

Mary Margaret broke her silence. "He is not your son, he's Emma's! He's our grandson!"

"He isn't your anything, Mary Margaret." Emma said coldly. "You gave up your right to be a parent or grandparent when you made me into your savior…and you know what? I'm no more of a parent than you are. But you know who is? _Regina_. She took in a child of her own free will, to love and raise, simply because she wanted to. You know what that makes her? A mother. _She_ is the mother of my son, and that doesn't change just because I broke the curse." She spat.

Regina stared wide-eyed at Emma, not expecting any sort of defense from the blonde. Sure, Henry asked Emma to protect her, but she certainly didn't have to defend her actions or her integrity as a mother to her parents. She thought the blonde had always resented her for being a mother to Henry – she had no idea that she felt this way.

"But she took you from us, Emma!" David yelled. "If it wasn't for her treachery or her curse, we would never have had to send you away in the first place! She deserves to be punished. It's not just your mother and I and who will be out for blood. You saw the mob at Regina's house – they will continue to come for her until they feel they have their retribution!"

"She isn't the Evil Queen anymore, David. She's spent the last 28 years as the Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybrooke – and for the last 10 years, as Henry's mother. The Evil Queen was left behind in the Enchanted Forest when she cast the curse…" she trailed off closing her eyes to collect herself expelling a long sigh.

"Hasn't there been enough vengeance? This needs to end. For us – for Henry." Emma implored.

Before anyone had the opportunity to respond, Henry burst through the double doors with Ruby in tow.

"Moms!" He exclaimed, running towards Emma and Regina, who both knelt instinctively to pull Henry into a hug. They exchanged an understanding look with Henry in their embrace, both women acknowledging the frivolousness of their feud as something that needed to be put behind them for the sake of their son.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Mom." He said to Regina as they finally pulled away from their hug. "I heard what happened – about the wraith – I was so worried…" He trailed off, becoming visibly upset at the prospect of losing his mother.

"I know sweetie, I'm sorry to have worried you like that." Regina said tenderly, running her fingers gently through his hair. "Miss Swan ensured that I remained safe."

"Emma, is that true!?" Henry asked hopefully.

"Yeah, kid – you asked me to protect her and I promised you I would." She said, doing her best to force a comforting smile.

Ruby finally spoke up after the tender family moment seemed to pass, exposing the previous tension as she scanned the faces in the room. "I'm sorry about bursting in on you guys, but Henry insisted we make sure that everyone was okay."

"It's okay, Ruby. We appreciate the concern." Mary Margaret said with a smile that failed to reach her eyes, her expression darkening as she continued. "We were just about done here anyway, and Regina needs to be escorted back to her cell."

"What?!" Henry cried. "You can't do that! I don't care what she did before, she's still my mom!" He began to bawl uncontrollably and Regina scooped him back up into her arms, tracing soft circles on his back in an attempt to console him.

Emma strode furiously towards her mother and jabbed a finger angrily in her face. "You _can't_ do that. I won't allow it. I amthe Sheriff – the only remaining law and order in this town and I'm _telling _you that there is no law in this world Regina has broken that gives you the right to hold her against her will – if you want to take her, you'll have to go through _me_ first." Emma declared as she positioned herself protectively between Mary Margaret and Regina.

David interjected and moved to stand beside his wife. "What has gotten into you, Emma? This woman tore our family apart, and has tried to kill you on numerous occasions! Why are you defending her?!"

"Everything Regina has done since I've gotten here was to protect Henry. At first I didn't plan on taking him away from her, but after a while, I did want him back. So you know what? She was right. I would have done the same if I were in her position. A parent fights to protect their child – but of course you and Mary Margaret wouldn't know a thing about that, now would you?" Emma stabbed, going for the jugular.

Mary Margaret winced but then shot back with resolve. "Well then what do you suggest we do with her then? We can't just let her loose!"

Through muffled sobs Henry begged them to spare his mother. "I want to go home with my mom…please! I was wrong before. She isn't the Evil Queen anymore – I know she won't hurt us! Please don't take her away!"

After hearing her son's desperate plea, Emma knew there was really only one thing they could do to satisfy both parties here.

"Then it's decided. Regina and Henry are going home together." Mary Margaret and David opened their mouths to protest but Emma put a hand up stopping them so she could finish uninterrupted. "I will stay with them and guard them around the clock to ensure no one tries anything foolish. Regina will be protected, and you will know where she is at all times, because she'll be with me."

Regina continued to hold her son, uncomfortable with the arrangement being suggested, but she remained quiet resolving that she would accept any deal that allowed her to remain with Henry.

"But Emma - your home is with us! After all this time, you and Henry should be with your family." Mary Margaret insisted.

"I _am_ with my family." Emma snapped.

Without another moment's hesitation she stepped back towards Regina and Henry began ushering them up and towards the door.

"I'll stop by at some point to grab my stuff." she said to Mary Margaret and David callously as she brushed past them.

When the doors shut loudly behind them as they left, Mary Margaret began sobbing and collapsed against David. As he attempted to console his distraught wife, David became lost in thought.

This wasn't how he envisioned being reunited with his daughter. They were supposed to be rid of Regina once and for all and left alone to live happily ever after as a family. How did this all turn out so wrong? How did they become the enemy?

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><p>The ride back to Regina's was deafeningly quiet. Emma was death gripping the steering wheel of her cruiser, jaw clenched, still breathing heavily from the residual adrenaline pumping through her system from their altercation with Mary Margaret and David. Regina sat in the passenger seat quietly observing Emma, trying to give her the space she needed to collect herself before they all returned home. She wasn't about to get into it with her while Henry was sitting in the back seat, already troubled by the day's events.<p>

They finally rounded the last turn down Mifflin Street, and Emma pulled the cruiser into the driveway and parking it behind Regina's Mercedes. She didn't care that she was blocking Regina's car in – she wouldn't be going anywhere by herself any time soon anyway. Emma stepped out of the cruiser, and waited for Regina to help Henry out of the back before following them towards the house. Instinctively, she took in her surroundings, searching for any signs of a disturbance. Having observed nothing suspicious, she continued to walk with them up the steps to the front door.

Regina was about to put the key into the lock when Emma's hand reached out and pushed her hand down.

"Let me go in first." Emma insisted, breaking the silence.

Regina, nodded in consent, understanding that Emma wanted to ensure that it was safe before letting their son into the house.

Regina let Emma take the keys from her hand, took Henry by the shoulders and stepped back to let Emma in front of her. Emma un-holstered her handgun with one hand and unlocked the door with the other. The door clicked and Emma pushed it open slowly, leading with her handgun. She cleared each room quietly one at a time with Regina and Henry close behind her. When the first floor was secure, she whispered to them to stay put while she checked upstairs. After what was only a few minutes, but felt like several agonizing hours to Regina, Emma finally came striding down the stairs, holstering her gun.

"It's all clear. It doesn't look like anyone has been here since you left." Emma declared.

"Thank god." Regina let out with relief, and then turned to Henry. "It's late, why don't you head on upstairs and get ready for bed? Miss Swan and I will be up in a bit to tuck you in."

Henry scrunched his face reluctantly at the request, knowing that they were going to be discussing adult things and he didn't want to miss any of it. "But Mom –" he began to whine.

"No 'buts' kid, do as your mom says." Emma maintained, steering her son in the direction of his bedroom.

Henry huffed and hurried up the stairs after realizing that protesting wasn't going to get him anywhere this time. As much as he wanted his moms to get along, there were times that he hated when they agreed.

"Care for a drink, Miss Swan?" Regina asked, gesturing towards her study.

"God, yes." Emma said, letting out an exasperated sigh, following Regina into her study.

Emma waited silently, leaning against the side of Regina's desk while she poured them each a tumbler of scotch. She knew very well that Regina's offer of a drink was her way of opening up the floor for an important discussion.

Regina turned, and handed Emma her glass before sitting stiffly on the chair across from her desk. After several moments of silence, Regina finally spoke.

"I just wanted to say - thank you, Miss Swan." Regina said, almost choking on the words. "I know you promised Henry that you'd try and keep me safe, but after the wraith was gone, you could have let the two idiots drag me off to be jailed for the rest of my life, and it would have been justified. Instead, somehow, I'm back in my home – a place I thought I'd never see again. Why did you do it?"

Emma sighed, and sank down into the chair across from Regina, her lips pressed firmly together while she clutched the tumbler tightly in her hand. After a moment, she expelled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and met Regina's warm brown eyes.

"I meant everything that I said in there. I don't give a fuck about what happened in the Enchanted Forest. Every shitty thing that happened to me led me here and gave me Henry. And it still doesn't change the fact that _you_ are his mother and he loves you and I know you love him. I'd never willingly take that away from him, when I know all too well what the alternative feels like." In an effort to wash away the painful memories, Emma took a big swig of her scotch, wiping the excess from her mouth with the back of her hand.

Regina flinched, knowing full well that it was because of her selfish actions that Emma grew up alone, abused, and unloved.

"You know nothing about me, Miss Swan. I did unforgivable things as the Evil Queen. I don't blame them for seeking vengeance against me." she said, dejectedly.

"I've had enough of all the vengeance! This idiotic feud between the two of you is what got us all here in the first place! It needs to end, and it needs to end now!" Emma slammed her tumbler down angrily, splashing its remaining contents down her arm and onto the table, startling Regina who subsequently shot up from her chair and retreated backward a few steps to create some distance between her and the furious blonde. This didn't stop Emma from stalking over to Regina, stopping only inches from her face before effectively pinning her to the wall by planting an arm forcefully beside her head.

"You don't get to give up, Regina. You don't get to sit there and take whatever punishment those bloodthirsty animals want to give you. Your son is upstairs and he needs you. When you decided to adopt him, you forfeited your right to just sit here and wait for them to do their worst! Now get your head out of your ass and let's go upstairs and take care of our son."

Emma pushed away from the wall and made her towards the doorway. She hesitated briefly, clutching the doorway for a moment in an effort to collect herself. She took in a sharp breath before exiting the room.

After Emma disappeared from view, Regina stood there for a moment, flustered and completely taken aback by the blonde's assertiveness. She felt crazy for even thinking it, but Emma was right. Henry needed her. She had grown tired of the lies and the curse, and despite how hard she fought to preserve it, when it finally broke, she felt flooded with relief. Regardless of being somewhat fearful of what was going to become of her, she found peace in the fact that she didn't need to keep up the charade any longer. But the reality was that Henry still needed her and she had to fight for him, if not for herself. She resolved that she wouldn't allow anyone get in the way of that – ever again.

Regina straightened out her blazer and smoothed out the front of her pants. After running her fingers through her hair and taking a deep breath to compose herself, she strode regally towards the stairs and up to Emma and their son.

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><p>When Regina reached the landing at the top of the steps, she could hear the sound of Emma and Henry's laughter from down the hall. She slipped her heels off and tip toed quietly towards Henry's room so she could listen for a few moments while still remaining undetected. She peered into the room and saw Emma perched on Henry's bed with a book open in her lap, reading him a story in some god-awful attempt at what she could only assume was a British accent.<p>

Henry couldn't seem to stop laughing. He addressed Emma through frantic gasps of breath between his laughter. "Emma! You sound like a pirate! That's now how mom does it!"

Emma poked Henry in the stomach in playful protest. "I'm doing the best I can, kid! She's had 10 years of practice, you gotta cut me some slack!"

Regina grinned at the ease and joyfulness of their interactions. They hadn't known each other for very long, but you would never have guessed they had ever been apart. After taking some time to enjoy their happy moment, she decided to make her presence known and knocked lightly on the open door as she entered.

"Reading Harry Potter without me, I see?" Regina accused playfully.

"I wanted to give Emma a try, mom, but she's pretty terrible at the voices. Can you finish the chapter?" Henry asked.

"Jeez, thanks kid!" Emma exclaimed.

"It's alright, Miss Swan - " Regina said, sitting down across from her on Henry's bed, reaching out to her to take the book. " - you'll get better with practice."

Emma huffed, feigning offense, and handed Regina the book, accidentally brushing their fingers in the transfer. Emma blushed immediately and pulled away hastily, embarrassed at her reaction to the light touch. Regina cocked an eyebrow at Emma, cleared her throat, and began reading where Emma left off.

Emma took this time to observe her son and his mother in their element. Henry was curled up under the covers watching his mother intently while Regina was reading to him, executing each voice perfectly. Henry was right - she really was terrible at the voices compared to Regina. She looked over at her, and all she could see was pure unadulterated joy on Regina's face for having the opportunity to read to her son. At that moment Emma knew she made the right choice in putting Henry up for adoption, and for keeping the two of them together today after the curse broke. They loved each other deeply and belonged together, and she resolved that she would do everything in her power to make sure they stayed that way.

It didn't take long for Henry to drift off to sleep. Regina only got through a couple of pages before he was out like a light. The two of them tucked him in and each gave him a gentle kiss on his head before quietly exiting the room.

Once they were out in the hallway out of earshot of their son, Regina broke the silence.

"I suppose I should show you to the guest room since you will be staying here for the near future." Regina remarked, gesturing a bit further down the hall.

"Well, I haven't gone back for my things yet so there's really not much for me to do in there." Emma shrugged.

"You need a place to sleep, don't you, Miss Swan? Or do you sleep standing up like a vampire?" Regina jabbed.

Emma laughed out loud but low enough not to wake Henry. "No of course not, I just don't plan on sleeping much tonight. When I said I'd be looking after you two, I meant it."

"You can't possibly look after us properly if you don't sleep. Don't be ridiculous." Regina argued.

Emma answered her seriously. "When I was up here earlier to make sure everything was safe, I noticed that there are way too many ways someone could get in here to harm you. Especially in your room – the windows are way too easy for someone to climb into. I'd feel much more comfortable if you'd let me sleep in there with you for a few days while all of this dies down."

Regina shot daggers at her. "Miss Swan, if you think this is an excuse just to –"

Emma put her hands up and pleaded with Regina "No no no, that's not what I meant! I meant on the _floor_. That way, if someone were to try to break in, I'd hear it. Your room is closer to Henry's anyway. It makes the most sense, really."

Regina peered at Emma, taking in what she said, searching for any hint of dishonesty. After a few moments, she decided that she was being truthful.

Regina straightened herself up and answered with her familiar mayoral tone. "Well if you insist upon sleeping on the floor like a neanderthal, who am I to stop you? – But if you so much as get within one foot of my bed while I'm sleeping in it you will indeed regret it."

Emma rolled her eyes, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender. "You've got nothing to worry about, Madame Mayor."

Emma yawned and looked at her wristwatch. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat. Can we go to bed now? I'd like to get at least a few hours of rest before I have to deal with the mess I made tomorrow."

Regina observing the frown on Emma's face, decided that anything else they needed to discuss could be discussed tomorrow. She nodded and led Emma the rest of the way down the hall to her bedroom. She opened up the double doors, leaving Emma standing awkwardly in the doorway while she searched through her closet for two extra pillows and two blankets to set Emma up with on the floor. She walked over to Emma with the tower of bedding and transferred the pile into her arms.

"I hope you will find these adequate for tonight, Miss Swan?" she asked.

Emma tilted her head to the side to peek around the bedding at Regina. "Yeah, this'll work just fine, thanks."

Emma walked over to the other side of the room and set up her bed underneath the exposed set of windows, several feet away from where Regina was going to be sleeping. As Emma made up her bed, Regina disappeared into the master bathroom to prepare for bed.

When Regina came out of the bathroom she was wearing a pale blue set of silk pajamas. Even though it wasn't form fitting in the least, it still seemed to accentuate certain parts of Regina's…physique. Emma had never seen Regina without her perfect mayoral makeup on, and she was surprised how striking she still was.

Regina noticed Emma staring and cleared her throat loudly to break her from her trance. Emma blinked at the sound and blushed furiously. She turned away, pretending to neaten up her bedding a bit.

After a few awkward minutes, Regina was already settled into bed, completing the remainder of a crossword that was on her nightstand. Emma started pulling off her brown leather jacket, folding it neatly over a nearby chair revealing only a black tank top underneath. She removed her gun holster, laying it beside her makeshift bed, for quick accessibility, should she need it. She began tugging off her boots when Regina spoke, peering at her through her glasses over her crossword.

"Miss Swan, I hope you don't plan on stripping down any further than that. I don't think any of our potential assailants would enjoy seeing you in your underwear."

Emma sighed audibly and rolled her eyes, gesturing at her pants. "Seriously, Regina? These jeans are super tight! You expect me to sleep like this?"

"It's not my fault, dear, that you insist upon wearing jeans two sizes to small."

"Oh come on, you know it makes my ass look _amazing_!" Emma said, eyes twinkling.

Regina chuckled. "Be that as it may, Miss Swan, I will not have you sleeping in your underwear when Henry could barge in at any moment. Perhaps you can collect some of your things tomorrow so you will have something decent to sleep in."

Emma began fidgeting uncomfortably with the hem of her tank top.

"What? Was it something I said?" Regina asked, perplexed.

"Umm…I don't exactly own any pajamas…" Emma trailed off, blushing.

"For heaven's sake, Miss Swan, are you trying to tell me that you sleep naked?" Regina asked, with disgust.

"Well, it's not like I normally share a room with anyone! Before I came to Storybrooke, I always lived alone. There really wasn't any need for pajamas. Besides, those types of things just take up extra room, and as I'm sure you've noticed, space isn't at a premium in the Bug." Emma confessed.

Regina sighed and responded in a tone usually reserved for Henry when he was misbehaving. "If you're going to be staying with us for a while, dear, then we best take you out and buy you some. In the meantime, you'll have to sleep like that." Regina finished as she gave her a deliberately long once over, which didn't escape Emma.

Emma let out an exasperated and flung her hands into the air. "Fine! One would think you'd be a little less critical of the person willing to put herself at risk to save your pompous ass!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, my White Knight! Please forgive me for my foolishness." Regina grinned devilishly, mocking her.

"_Goodnight_, Regina!" Emma snapped, having had enough of Regina's sarcasm for one day.

She slumped down onto her makeshift bed and crawled under the blanket turning to face the wall.

Regina must have had her fill at tormenting Emma for the night because the light clicked off, and Emma could hear her settling in under the covers.

After silence washed over them for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Emma was finally free to attempt to process everything that had taken place over the last 24 hours. She slayed a dragon, saved Henry, broke the curse and found her parents all in one day. She thought at first that after all of that, she would finally be happy – this was supposed to be her happy ending, right?

Henry's book failed to explain how chaotic everything would be after the curse broke. She was completely unprepared for what came. She had no idea how to talk to or even look at her parents. And above all, she sure as hell didn't think she'd end up siding with the Evil Queen only hours after she broke her curse. It all feels too surreal. She never wanted any of this. She's almost sure that once she wakes up, this will have all been some strange nightmare to be chuckled at and forgotten over her morning coffee.

The only thing she is certain about is that she needs protect her son. Right now, what is best for her son is to be with his mother. She knows that she's supposed to resent Regina for everything she did, but for some reason - she doesn't. In fact, she feels more comfortable around Regina right now than she does with Mary Margaret and David. Regina throughout this whole ordeal is the only person who has remained constant. Mary Margaret and David are completely different people than they were yesterday, and so is everyone else in Storybrooke. But Regina is the Regina she's always been – Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke and Henry's mother. Despite how controlling and combative the brunette could be, Emma found comfort in her familiarity in a world where nothing made any sense to her anymore.

Here, with Regina and Henry, she felt that she was right where she needed to be – and that was all that really mattered to her. She had a long day ahead of her tomorrow, so she really needed to try and get some rest. She quieted her thoughts and sleep took her almost instantly.


	2. Chapter 2

She must have been more tired than she thought, Emma mused, blinking several times to clear her blurry eyes and to adjust to the sunlight streaking through the window above her. Taking in where she was and why she was there, she shot up in a panic, searching the room frantically for Regina. Finding the bedroom empty, she grabbed for her gun, burst through the bedroom door and leapt down the stairs, skipping several steps at a time.

"Regina?!" she yelled, hoping desperately that she hadn't slept through her abduction, or worse.

Emma raced into the kitchen, only to find Henry energetically eating his stack of blueberry pancakes, while Regina set a piping hot cup of coffee on the counter and gestured for Emma to sit next to Henry.

Regina had clearly been up for a while, as she was already fully dressed. Once again, the brunette looked flawlessly put together, however this time, her appearance was softened somewhat by a bit of unexpected domesticity. Instead of her usual power suit, she wore a crisp white buttoned down shirt tucked neatly into simple black slacks with a slightly more conservative pair of heels. What made today particularly different was the striped blue and white apron tied neatly around her waist. The blonde imagined Regina didn't really need to wear the apron at all, as the woman didn't have a sloppy bone in her body. She came to the conclusion that it must simply part of Regina's textbook motherly routine.

"Jesus, Regina!" Emma exclaimed, laying her gun on the counter and collapsing onto the stool in front of her cup of coffee. "Couldn't you have woken me up? I panicked when I didn't see you there and I thought the worst…"

Regina walked over, picking Emma's gun up with two fingers and placing it on the opposite counter near the sink, as far away from Henry's reach as possible. "I really wish you wouldn't leave your loaded service weapon laying around in reach of our son – I didn't wake you as you looked like you needed all the rest you could get. If those circles under your eyes got any darker, I would have thought a raccoon had found its way into my house."

Emma took a long hard pull from her searing hot cup of coffee, enjoying feeling the warmth course through her. Regina's coffee was way better than any she had ever tasted, she mused.

The blonde rolled her eyes dramatically. "Sorry about the gun Regina, I'll be more careful the next time I nearly lose my mind thinking the two of you were abducted."

Regina pursed her lips, and arched a condescending eyebrow. "I appreciate the concern, Miss Swan, but I can't have you running around this house half-cocked in the presence of a ten year old, so you'll need to collect yourself."

"Fair enough." Emma conceded. "And thank you for letting me sleep. I didn't realize how exhausted I was."

Regina nodded, turning to scoop another batch of blueberry pancakes out of the pan onto a neat stack. She set the plate down in front of Emma whose eyes widened at the sight.

"You made some for me? Really?" Emma asked, with childlike surprise and excitement that mirrored Henry's.

"Mom always makes pancakes on Saturdays, Emma, because they're my favorite!" Henry informed her with a smile.

"As your penchant for unhealthy breakfast foods has obviously passed to our son, I simply assumed you'd enjoy the same treat I allow him indulge in once a week." Regina added casually, while slipping gracefully onto the stool across from Henry, and taking a sip of her coffee.

Emma smirked at Regina as she stuffed a large fork full of syrup-drenched pancakes into her mouth in playful retort.

"Man, you were right kid, these pancakes are amazing! Way better than Granny's! Don't tell her I said that though…" Emma added, stuffing another generous portion into her mouth.

"I won't!" Henry giggled, turning his attention back to his own plate to take another bite.

Regina sat there for a moment sipping on her coffee, enjoying the effortless banter that ensued between her son and his birthmother. The more she observed their interactions, the more she realized how alike they really were. The same qualities she found endearing in Henry were starting to warm her up to Emma. Now that the blonde was no longer threatening to take Henry away from her, she failed to remember what she originally disliked so much about her.

Regina was broken abruptly from her musing with the sound of Henry's fork clanking on his empty plate. He drained his glass of its remaining milk and brought his dishes to the sink.

"Henry, Miss Swan and I have some things to discuss. Would you mind playing up in your room for a bit?" Regina asked Henry in the way that he knew it wasn't really a question, but a polite way to tell him he needed to make himself scarce.

"Okayyyy, Mom…" he let out an exasperated sigh and dramatically marched his way up the stairs to his room in an effort to demonstrate his lack of enthusiasm in having to leave the company of both his mothers. He wasn't sure how long the pleasantries between them were going to last, so he was trying desperately to enjoy it.

Emma turned to Regina, breaking the ice with a smile. "So pancakes every Saturday, huh? You really are the perfect mom."

Regina blushed slightly at the compliment but quickly composed herself. "I would say I'm a far cry from perfect, Miss Swan, but I do my best."

"Your best is way more than I could have ever hoped for my son." Emma said sincerely. "Even though everything is a little messed up right now, I just – thank you." Emma stuttered, staring intently into the remainder of the coffee that was rapidly cooling in her mug, with her hands clutched tightly around it.

Regina watched patiently as the blonde struggled with her words and decided it was best to remain silent while she finished what she had to say.

"This – the pancakes – you – this is what I dreamt about every night when I was in the foster system. I wanted so badly to have a mom who would do this kind of thing for me. Instead, I ended up as a meal ticket for junkies and alcoholics who barely remembered that they needed to feed me." Emma took a hasty gulp of the remainder of her coffee in an effort to mask the obvious tremor in her voice.

Surprised by the blonde's unexpected and personal admission, Regina resolved that this time, she would help the blonde preserve some of her pride and composure by passing on the opportunity to insult her upbringing. "Well, Miss Swan, if all it takes to please you is a regular supply of pancakes, then all you need to do is secure a man that can cook."

Emma grunted. "God, no – ewww! Seriously, Regina? I mean, I know I have a son and all, but isn't it kind of obvious?"

Regina, insulted by Emma's insinuation that her powers of observation were lacking, replied harshly in her mayoral tone. "I am not blind, Miss Swan – don't think I don't notice how you stare at my backside every time I exit a room – "

Emma blushed, having not realized she was _that_ painfully obvious…

" – I simply thought it proper etiquette not to make any assumptions until told explicitly otherwise – that _is_ how it goes in this world, is it not?" Regina asked, getting up from her stool and busying herself by pouring them both another piping hot cup of coffee.

"Uh…yeah… it is." Emma confirmed awkwardly with a stutter.

Regina, reveling in the younger woman's momentary discomfort, let her sweat it out for a few minutes while she rinsed the breakfast dishes and stacked them into the dishwasher.

Emma was mentally kicking herself for being so oblivious. She knew she was a bit of a flirt, especially with Regina, but she didn't realize she was _that_ obvious about how attractive she found the mayor. _Way to play it cool, Swan…_

When Regina sat back down again, she changed the subject, which relieved Emma only briefly until the brunette mentioned the one thing she didn't want to deal with right now.

"As much as I simply _adore_ your presence here in my home, we need to figure out how we're going to deal with your parents."

Emma cringed at the use of the word 'parent'. "I wish you wouldn't call them that. They're not my parents." She grumbled. "I was thinking I'd go over to talk to them today, since I need to grab my stuff, anyhow. I'm hoping they'll have calmed down enough to have a rational conversation about this whole situation."

"By 'this whole situation', you mean me, dear." Regina sighed and started kneading her hands together uncomfortably in front of her, dropping her gaze from Emma.

Emma reluctantly reached out and placed a hand on top of Regina's as if she feared she would be burned by slightest touch. "No, Regina – I mean, yeah, we have to figure out how to keep you safe, but the rest of it – Gold, my parents – they're my problem. Not yours. All you need to worry about is yourself and Henry."

The longer Emma's hand remained on top of Regina's the more at ease she felt with the contact, so she went for it and gave Regina's hands a reassuring squeeze before withdrawing it back to her cup of coffee and taking another sip.

Regina seemed to be comforted briefly by the gesture, as she stopped fidgeting and sat taller atop her stool.

"If anything, dear, Gold is my problem. He's the one who created the curse and manipulated me into enacting it. I can see quite clearly now that I was merely a pawn intended to do his bidding, so I would prefer to deal with the imp personally."

"I don't understand…" Emma replied, cocking her head to the side in confusion. "You didn't create the curse?"

Regina shook her head and explained. "No. The curse was of Gold's design. I'm powerful, but I never had the ability to create something so complex. Gold is a master of manipulation. Every deal he struck, every move he made, was simply a means to an end. He recruited me as his magical apprentice when I was too young and vulnerable to understand the implications. He preyed on my grief and anger and he sent me straight down the path to becoming the Evil Queen. Everything that led all of us to this point - everything down to you becoming the savior and breaking the curse – it all transpired this way because he intended it to. I also know that whatever he's up to isn't over, and I have to get to the bottom of it before it's too late."

It took Emma several moments to process the magnitude of what Regina was explaining to her. When it finally all clicked in her head, Regina observed her demeanor change instantaneously. Emma's jaw tensed and her hands balled themselves into such tight fists that her knuckles began to whiten.

"I knew Henry's book probably only told one side of the story, but I had noidea how wrong it was. That creepy fucker _used_ and _manipulated_ you when you were too young to know any better, yet everyone blames _you_ and not _him_?! That is…so…_fucked_!" Emma shouted, banging her fists on the counter, startling Regina with her sudden rage.

Emma continued with her rant pacing back and forth in the kitchen, arms flailing wildly as she yelled. Regina was perplexed by Emma's outburst but knew better than to interrupt the younger woman when she was this irate.

"They are such…fucking…morons! How could they not see that you had just as much of a choice in becoming the Evil Queen as I had in becoming the goddamn Savior?!" Emma raged on.

Emma felt herself rapidly unraveling - becoming unhinged by the harsh realization that every painstaking moment of her life was predetermined and that no matter how hard she tried, she was always going to fall victim of whatever fate – or Gold – had in store for her. She suddenly saw Regina in a different light, as she understood now that Regina was just as much of a victim as she was.

Regina reasoned that she better calm the blonde down before Henry heard what was going on. Lunging forward, she grabbed Emma's toned bicep, effectively breaking her from her pacing.

"Miss Swan!" she reprimanded, as she shook Emma's tensed arm distracting the blonde momentarily from her outburst. "As much as I appreciate the gesture of your sympathy, Gold led me down that path like a horse to a trough, but I was the one who decided to drink from it."

Feeling the firmness of Regina's grasp on her upper arm, Emma forced herself to take several deep breaths. Closing her eyes, she swallowed audibly, and then opened them again to address Regina who knew better than to interject when she saw the darkness and determination that surfaced in her eyes.

"I don't believe that! You're just dying to fall on your goddamn sword for every bad thing that you've done in your life - but there's no way in hell that I'm going to let you do that. _Gold_ is the one they should all be seeking retribution from, and I'm going to make sure they see that – and then, we're going to take him down _together_."

Both women began staring each other down, jaws tensely clenched, chests heaving rapidly from their shallow breaths, the scant distance left between them daring either of them to bridge the gap. Regina relented first, releasing Emma's arm from the death grip she'd had on it for the last few minutes. Emma rubbed at her bicep furiously, knowing that Regina's hand would surely leave a mark.

"You'd probably have more friends if you responded like a human being when someone tries to defend you, you know." Emma spat.

"And I should be taking advice from _you_ of all people, Miss Swan? I seem to recall you saying that you never stayed in one place long enough to bother to making any." Regina shot back as she proceeded to rinse out their coffee mugs and place them in the dishwasher. She gracefully removed her apron in one smooth movement, draping it neatly over the countertop.

"Hey!" Emma interjected defensively. "I have friends…like…Ruby…" She suddenly realized that was just about as many friends as Regina had and it was useless to continue to argue. "Fine, I see your point - but if you want me to help you, you're going to have to work on your people skills…"

Regina rolled her eyes dismissively at Emma. "I will do my best to try not to let your insufferable need to meddle in other people's personal affairs or your obvious lack of refinement, aggravate me in such a way that I feel compelled to verbally insult you."

Emma shook her head, exasperated with the entire conversation. "Wow, Regina, you really are quite the politician, aren't you? You can't just say you'll try and be nicer to me and leave it at that?" Emma huffed and started towards the stairs.

"I'm going to go make some calls and arrange for someone to keep an eye on you guys so I can go have a chat with Mary Margaret and David."

Emma didn't bother to wait around for another snippy retort from Regina and bolted upstairs.

* * *

><p>Upon reaching Regina's bedroom, Emma slumped back down to lie on her makeshift bed. Rubbing her eyes furiously, she attempted to shake herself free of the rage that only Regina seemed to have the uncanny ability to evoke. She spent several minutes staring up at the ceiling trying desperately to convince herself not to just burst out of there and run as far away as from Storybrooke as she could. It would all be so easy – she could leave this whole freak show behind in an instant, and go back to the life she had become so accustomed to…<p>

God, who was she kidding? She couldn't just go back to how things were before, not after everything that happened over the past year. No matter how fucked up things were, she at least had to try and see things through before she bailed. This was her one shot at having a family, so she at least had to try, right?

Realizing that she had probably wasted enough time arguing with herself, she dragged herself up and grabbed her leather jacket from where it rested on the back of the chair. She pulled her cell phone out of one of the pockets and called one of the whopping three numbers on her speed dial and pressed the phone to her ear. It only rang once before the line was picked up.

_"Emma? Are you alright? Are you still with Regina?" _the voice asked frantically.

"Yeah, Rubes, I'm at Regina's. I'm fine. She made me pancakes for breakfast! She's like a fucking stepford mom."

"_I'm glad to hear you haven't tried to kill each other yet…wait…have you?!" _Ruby inquired anxiously.

"No, we haven't quite full on attacked each other yet, but we keep yo-yoing back and forth between playful banter and heated arguments."

Emma began pacing back in forth attempting to work out her frustration.

_"Doesn't sound like much has changed, huh?"_

Emma sighed heavily.

"I don't know, Rubes. I mean, there's moments where I feel like I see a glimpse of humanity and then she just ruins it with all of her defensive bullshit."

"_Well, she's probably got a lot on her mind, with everyone probably wanting to kill her and all."_

"They don't really want to kill her, do they?!" Emma asked in a panic.

_"Some people are really angry, Emma. I think for most of them it will pass with time, but there are a few that won't rest until they get their pound of flesh."_

"You aren't one of them, are you Rubes?" Emma asked her timidly, fearful of the brunette's response.

_"Of course not Emma. You know I wouldn't do that to you and Henry. Besides, I kinda like being Ruby. Even though the curse kept me in a boring loop here, at least I wasn't off eating people every full moon when I turned into a wolf. – And I honestly don't think I want to live again in a world without indoor plumbing and twitter." _Ruby added with a light chuckle.

Emma let out an appreciative laugh at Ruby's gesture to lighten the mood a bit.

"I hope that there are a lot more people around Storybrooke that feel the way you do Rubes, otherwise I'm in big trouble. I may be the savior, but I'm totally unprepared to fight off hordes of angry fairytale creatures."

_"I'm sure they'll come around Emma. Speaking of which, have you talked to your parents yet?"_

"No… that's actually what I was calling you about. There's not many people left in this town that I'd trust with Regina – would you mind coming over to look after her while I go over to their place to work through some of this?"

_"Sure, Emma, I can swing by in about a half an hour – does that work?"_

"Yeah, that's perfect. I can't thank you enough Rubes."Emma thanked, breathing a sigh of relief.

_"Don't mention it. See you in a few."_

After hearing the other side of the line go dead she dropped her phone from her ear and decided that she should probably attempt to make herself appear remotely presentable at some point today.

Emma tugged on her boots and slung on her leather jacket. After folding up what remained of her 'bed', she piled everything neatly on top of the chair near where she had slept. Dragging herself over to the bathroom to assess the state of her hair, she was surprised to find that it wasn't that much more unruly than usual. She noticed that Regina left out a toothbrush for her, and was grateful, just now becoming aware of the extent of her coffee breath. She brushed her teeth and washed her face with cold water. After running her hand through her hair a few times, she was satisfied that she looked presentable enough.

Taking a moment to prepare herself for another encounter with Regina, she took a deep breath and then began making her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

* * *

><p>Regina was found in her study at her desk working diligently amongst neat piles of mayoral paperwork. In spite of her attempt to distract herself, she couldn't help but get lost in her thoughts.<p>

This wasn't quite how she had envisioned her inevitable defeat at the hands of the savior. She had assumed that the curse would most likely be broken in the event of her untimely death. As she began feeling the curse weaken, she would often have nightmares about the various horrific ways in which Emma could execute her for her crimes. After all, the way that she and Emma clashed viciously in the past over Henry had led her to believe that she would show her no kindness once the truth had been revealed. On the contrary, the blonde surprised her with empathy and compassion, in spite of all of the unforgivable things she had done - past and present.

The prickling sensation of another presence in the room caused Regina to break from her thoughts and look up from her paperwork, where she observed Emma leaning in the doorway to her study, watching her silently. Emma was casually arranging her gun into the shoulder holster underneath her leather jacket when she met Regina's gaze.

"I see that the world would literally have to end for you to fall behind in your paperwork, Madame Mayor." Emma joked as she entered the room and plopped herself in one of the chairs facing Regina's desk.

"Despite yesterday's events, I am still the only person fit to keep this town running properly, and I will not allow your parents to destroy what I worked hard to maintain all these years." Regina replied bitterly, turning her attention back to the stack of paper in front of her.

The reality was that Regina didn't really know how else to busy herself while essentially remaining a prisoner in her own home. Deep down, she was still concerned about her situation and the only way she knew to preserve her composure was to simply continue to do what came most easily to her – her mayoral duties.

Realizing that Emma had no intentions of leaving her to her work, Regina huffed and looked back up at her impatiently. Emma leaned back in her chair, legs uncrossed in her typical uncouth fashion, causing Regina's lips to purse at the sight as if she had tasted something foul.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, Regina, but I doubt they'll let you continue to run this town now, even though there's probably no one else who has any clue how to." Emma added matter-of-factly, choosing to ignore Regina's overt look of disgust.

"That may be true, Miss Swan, but I refuse to let this paperwork pile up while the townspeople squabble over which imbecile is going to replace me."

Emma rolled her eyes and then leaned forward, speaking in an even direct tone.

"I just got off the phone with Ruby. She's going to swing by in a few to keep an eye out for you and Henry while I go talk to Mary Margaret and David. She's doing this as a favor to me so I'd appreciate it if you were on your best behavior while I'm gone."

Regina yanked off her glasses and slammed them down on top of a pile of folders. "I don't care what you promised those two idiots yesterday – I do not need to be babysat like some _child_ – especially not by the likes of Miss Lucas."

"It's not just that I promised them, Regina. There's no way that I'm going to leave you and Henry alone when there are people out there who are probably waiting for me to leave to break in here and hurt you. And what's wrong with Ruby, anyway? She's always been nice to you – and she's probably the only person left in this town that doesn't want to burn you at the stake or whatever."

Regina scoffed at the blonde's ignorance. "Need I remind you that Miss Lucas is your mother's oldest and dearest friend? You're vastly more deficient than I originally thought if you think that Miss Lucas will lift a finger to protect me."

"She's my friend too, Regina, and I trust her. You didn't forget about my superpower, did you? I can tell when anyone is lying and I know she has no intentions of hurting you or betraying my trust. She even told me that she's actually grateful for the curse bringing her here to Storybrooke. So stop fighting me on this and just behave while she's here. I don't want to have to worry about you killing each other while I'm off bargaining with Mary Margaret and David to spare your crabby ass from the guillotine or whatever barbaric way you execute people back in the Enchanted Forest." Emma snapped, growing increasingly frustrated with Regina's defiance.

Regina pushed her chair out and sauntered predatorily around her desk, leaning back against it, arms folded, running her eyes up and down Emma's form before she met her gaze. "As flattered as I am that you've taken quite the shine to me, Savior, I'm not sure why you insist upon taking up arms as my 'White Knight' against your parents when your life would be made much easier by taking Henry away from me and aligning with them."

Emma flushed slightly at the way Regina's eyes scanned her methodically, causing her to shift awkwardly in her chair. She couldn't help but be distracted by how ridiculously hot Regina looked when she was agitated. The way the top button of her shirt was strained by the generous amount of cleavage beneath it – threatening to burst open at any moment - was not helping at all.

"Miss Swan!" Regina reprimanded, snapping Emma from her trance. "If you're done ogling me like a horny teenage boy, I'd suggest you shut your mouth before some vile insect finds its way inside."

Emma immediately snapped her mouth shut in embarrassment, having not heard a word of what Regina said to her in her distraction.

"You're the dirty one, Madame Mayor – you totally checked me out first! - and you're just trying to change the subject, which is not going to work!" Emma accused her angrily.

Regina scoffed at her. "I was banking on you having inherited your father's lack of intellect, but it appears that you've inherited your mother's stubbornness instead. How delightful."

"_Don't_ call them that! I am _nothing_ like them!" Emma growled through clenched teeth, springing up out of her chair towards Regina, their faces separated by scarcely an inch.

"I'm not _good_. I'm not a savoir, a princess or a White Knight! I grew up in foster homes, stole so I wouldn't starve, and gave birth to my son in _prison_! I will _never_ be like them!" Emma growled, but Regina failed to even flinch.

Regina pushed Emma back forcefully, causing Emma to stumble back awkwardly into the chair. Regina leaned into Emma's face, and firmly grasped both arms of the chair in a clear act of intimidation.

"I am growing tired of your frequent outbursts, Miss Swan! I understand that it is quite alarming for you to learn that you're the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, but your behavior is simply unacceptable and I will no longer tolerate it. Is that understood?" Regina scolded.

Emma realized that Regina was right – she's been flying off the handle at the drop of a hat ever since the curse broke. She was a complete mess over everything, as she hasn't had any time to process it yet. Normally Regina's banter would simply be just that, but every time Regina toyed with her now, she snapped.

"I'm sorry, Regina." Emma sighed, slumping pathetically into her chair. "I just don't know if I can handle all of this. A few days ago I was ready to leave town. I was too overwhelmed by being a mother and a Sherriff – but now I'm a savior and a daughter too? It's all just too much…"

Regina's expression softened at the younger woman's admission and she stepped back to give her some space.

"Blood meant everything in the Enchanted Forest, but that world no longer exists. Here, in this world, things are different. You can separate yourself from your family should you chose to do so. Your parents used you to break the curse - as such, your obligation as the savior has already been fulfilled. Don't let them manipulate you into thinking you owe them anything - "

A knock at the front door interrupted them. Frowning briefly at Emma's pitiful state, Regina left to meet who she assumed was Ruby at the door.

"Miss Lucas." Regina greeted her flatly she opened the door for her to enter.

"Hey, Regina." Ruby answered with a tentative smile, stepping into the foyer. Where's Emma?"

"Hey, Rubes, thanks for coming." Emma said politely as she appeared from the study.

Ruby noticed that Emma looked a little pale but didn't want to make anything of it, given the delicate nature of the whole situation.

Upon hearing someone enter the house, Henry crept out of his room to the top of the stairs to determine who it was. When he had seen that it was Ruby, his former babysitter, he ran down the stairs, barreling past both of his mothers, capturing Ruby in an enormous hug.

"Ruby! What are you doing here?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Ruby's here to hang out with you and your mom for a bit while I take care of some things." Emma answered.

Henry frowned, his face scrunching inquisitively. "Are you going to go talk to grandma and grandpa?"

"Yeah, kid. Everything's been a little chaotic since the curse broke, so we just need to talk some things out." Emma said, trying her best to alleviate any of Henry's concerns.

"You won't let anyone hurt mom, right? You promised."

"No one is going to hurt me, Henry. Everyone is still just a little upset, but everything's going to be fine." Regina said reassuringly in the soft motherly tone she reserved for her son.

Henry contemplated the situation for a moment but decided that he was satisfied with their answers.

"Can we play XBOX?" Henry asked, turning address Ruby.

"Sure, Henry, why don't you go set it up while I talk to your moms for a minute, okay?" Ruby asked, ruffling Henry's hair and ushering him towards the living room.

Once Henry disappeared out of earshot into the other room, Emma directed her attention to the two women. "I should only be gone a few hours, but if you even get an inkling of something suspicious I want you to call me immediately."

Ruby placed a reassuring hand on Emma's arm. "Of course, you know I would – but nothing is going to happen. Go reason with your parents. If anyone can talk them down it's you."

"Okay." Emma sighed, nodding in agreement.

"Ruby! I'm ready!" they heard Henry call from the other room.

Ruby giggled. "That's my cue. See you in bit, Em."

Once Ruby left to join Henry, Emma turned and took several steps towards the front door, reaching out to grasp the handle when she was interrupted by the presence of a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to find Regina's deep brown eyes staring back at her filled with what appeared to be genuine concern.

"Don't do anything foolish like getting yourself hurt. I don't want to have to explain to Henry that someone harmed his mother because of me. He'd never forgive me." Regina choked, failing to mask the slight tremor in her voice.

"Snow White and Prince Charming wouldn't let anyone hurt their precious daughter, so you have nothing to worry about, Regina." Emma replied sarcastically, forcing a smile and opening the front door.

As Emma started walking down the path towards the cruiser, Regina called after her. "Dinner is at 6, Miss Swan. Don't be late."

"Wouldn't miss it, Madame Mayor." Emma replied with a wink as she ducked into the driver's side, closing the door behind her.

Regina lingered on her porch and watched as the cruiser pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down Mifflin Street. She suddenly felt flushed and shot a hand up to her cheek in surprise, feeling the searing heat that was radiating off of it.

Regina couldn't understand why Emma made her feel this way. She found her insufferable most of the time, and now that the curse broke, the girl was practically manic. There was just something about her that was drastically different than everyone else. They had always feared her when she was the Evil Queen, and even as the Mayor. No one challenged her, which she originally thought would bring her some peace but really ended up being painfully uninteresting. That was the reason why she wanted to adopt a child in the first place. After 18 years in Storybrooke, she had grown tired of the monotony – she just wanted to feel something. Henry made her feel love for the first time since Daniel died. Although, it was different kind of love – one that she found comfort in, as the love between a mother and child was something she was sure she would be able to hold onto forever. Unfortunately, she couldn't have been more wrong.

As time passed, Regina and Henry grew further apart. When Henry brought Emma back to Storybrooke, the brunette felt the only love she had being torn from her again, just like her mother had callously ripped Daniel away from her forever by yanking his heart out and crushing it in her hand. She supposed that was why her and Emma clashed so intensely. Emma threatened the very thing that she was living for – her happy ending with Henry. Whenever she had challenged Emma, the blonde matched her move to move, step to step. Emma hadn't feared her like everyone else as she saw right through the façade and straight into her core. It was absolutely terrifying but also invigorating at the same time. She'd been judged and misunderstood for so long that she almost forgot what it felt like to genuinely be seen by someone and to feel truly alive. Despite putting Emma through the ringer over the past year, the blonde always came back for more, time and time again.

Regina doesn't know what she feels for the savior but what she knows for sure is that she wants her to stay – she needs her to.

The distant sound of Henry's laughter broke her from her thoughts, reminding her that she shouldn't be standing out there all alone when most of the town probably wants her head. Taking one last deep breath of fresh autumn air, she headed back inside to join Ruby and her son.


	3. Chapter 3

Storybrooke seemed abnormally quiet to Emma as she drove to Mary Margaret's apartment across town. She had assumed after the chaos that ensued with the mob at Regina's house, that people would have been fighting with each other in the middle of the streets like it was the apocalypse. Maybe she had an overly dramatic imagination, but she wasn't expecting everything to look so…_normal_. Storybrooke looked like it had every other day – everyone appeared to be continuing on as if the curse had never broken. Emma wondered how long it would be before things started going to hell. She desperately needed some time to come up with a plan, and hoped that the quiet would continue for at least a few more days.

It was a short ride to Mary Margaret's. Storybrooke was a big town, but her apartment was only 10 minutes from Regina's house. She pulled the cruiser over to park at the curb and turned it off. Emma leaned her head back against the headrest, closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to muster up the courage to head inside. She knew Mary Margaret would be home today since it wasn't a school day. With the curse broken and their memories restored, she was sure David wouldn't be apart from Mary Margaret this soon. She was suddenly struck with the horrifying realization of what 28 years apart could suggest they were doing alone right now and she almost regretted driving over there without calling first. With an audible groan, she pulled herself from the cruiser and trudged up the apartment steps. If she caught them in the middle of doing it she was going to throw herself down the stairs and end her misery now.

She let her hand hover for a moment while she summoned the courage before knocking lightly on the apartment door. It only took a minute for Mary Margaret to appear.

"Emma? David! It's Emma!" Mary Margaret called excitedly back into the apartment while capturing Emma in an oppressively tight embrace.

"Hey." was all Emma could squeeze out in response, while Mary Margaret pulled her eagerly into the apartment, closing the door behind them.

"I'm so glad you're alright sweetie, I was so worried." Mary Margaret rambled, leading Emma over to the sofa, gesturing for her to take a seat.

It was all way too awkward to Emma. The woman who just yesterday was a roommate, and a confidant had morphed into some other person that she didn't recognize at all.

David came rushing down the stairs upon hearing Mary Margaret's call. His eyes scanned Emma and noticed that Henry wasn't with her. "Where's Henry? Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's at home with Regina and Ruby. They're all fine." Emma replied, already anticipating the unpleasant path this conversation was going to take.

"You can't possibly trust Regina with Henry, Emma, after everything she's done. You know what she's capable of!" David argued.

"Regina took great care of Henry for 10 years while I wasn't around. So yeah, I do know what she's capable of." Emma mocked. "She may have been the Evil Queen like 30 years ago, but she spent the last decade being Henry's mom, so just lay off, alright? I know her - she loves him - she won't hurt him."

Mary Margaret squeezed David's arm as he opened his mouth to argue his point further, which caused him to shut it promptly again as she tried to diffuse the situation.

"Why don't I make us some lunch, Emma are you hungry?" Mary Margaret asked, releasing David from her grasp and heading towards to kitchen.

"No - I'm not hungry, I had a late breakfast." Emma answered coolly as she got up from the sofa and walked over to where Mary Margaret was busying herself in the kitchen. "I didn't really come here for a family lunch - we need to talk."

"Yes, I suppose we do." Mary Margaret conceded in a defeated sigh. "David, let's all sit down - " she said as she gestured them to sit.

They all dragged themselves in silence over to what one could call the living room in Mary Margaret's tiny loft. David and Mary Margaret sat side by side on the loveseat, and Emma sat across from them on a terribly uncomfortable chair, trying not to express too much disdain for the happy couple's choice of seat.

Emma hadn't really had too much time do plan what she was going to say. Everything she did since the curse broke had been a knee-jerk reaction, so she really hadn't had time to think about what she wanted to say, or even needed to say to them. What made it all worse, was that she was never good with words, feelings or family, so she honestly didn't even know where to begin. Thankfully, David decided to speak first.

"I know that you're angry with us Emma, and you have every right to be. When we found out that you mother was pregnant with you, we had different, happy plans for our family. I know that this is difficult for you – this isn't the kind of family you were expecting - but we want to try and be your parents now and make up for all the time we spent apart."

Mary Margaret squeezed his hand in silent support of her husband's statement, while waiting for Emma's response.

Emma knew that she should want what they are suggesting – a fresh start, a new beginning with her parents. After all, she's been searching for her family her whole life. It's the whole reason she became a bail bondsperson – the only thing she ever thought of doing was finding them. Now that they were here, sitting in front of her, she didn't feel how she thought she would. She thought they'd share tears of joy, warm embraces, and live happily ever after - that all of the pain and the loneliness would finally fade away. She never anticipated struggling with even greater feelings of rejection and anger than she had ever felt before.

"I've never wanted anything more in my entire life – but it's just not that simple. I'm willing to try but I just need some time and space and it has to be on my terms."

"Anything you need honey, we're here for you." Mary Margaret said in an understanding tone and with a warm smile.

Emma continued before she lost the nerve to say what needed to be said.

"This whole feud with Regina needs to end. If you want us to be a family, we need to make peace with her. Regina is Henry's family, so she's my family too. There's no scenario where Regina isn't a party of Henry's life. So how are we going to make that work?"

She watched her parents visibly grimace at the suggestion as if the very thought turned their stomachs.

"We understand that it would be very traumatic for Henry to be separated from Regina, but even if she wouldn't hurt him, you can't possibly think she would be a good influence on him." David contended, in an attempt to reason with her.

Emma couldn't refrain from rolling her eyes at his ignorance. He really was the idiot Regina made him out to be.

"If she wanted to hurt any of you, she could have done so during the 28 years you were cursed - but she didn't. That won't change now, just because the curse is broken. She was a good mother to Henry – and he's a great kid, you can't deny that. None of that would change now and I don't see why it has to. He wants to stay with her and I'm not going to uproot him if he's happy, and that's final."

Mary Margaret knew that she had to tread lightly to secure any chance they had at making amends with Emma. She channeled her years of diplomatic training to respond to her daughter.

"I can't say that I approve, but he's your son Emma, so you ultimately get to decide how to parent him, and we will support you. However, I'm not sure how much of an influence we are going to have regarding Regina's fate. She needs to pay for what she did to all of us, and we will see that justice is served."

Emma's demeanor darkened. The Mary Margaret she knew would never let anyone be harmed, no matter who they were. She didn't recognize this person that looked just like her best friend.

"I don't know what any of you have planned for her, but I can tell you right now that if it involves her death, imprisonment, or banishment, I will _not _allow it." Emma snapped, raising her voice.

David was growing impatient with his daughter's insolence. She was their savior by destiny, but she knew nothing of their land and customs or how treacherous Regina really was back in the Enchanted Forest.

"You don't really have any say in the matter, Emma. We have our own methods of determining a suitable punishment for those who commit crimes in the Enchanted Forest. We will reconvene the old council and decide as a group what will become of Regina."

It was crystal clear to Emma at this point that she was getting nowhere with them. They were still stuck in the ways of the Enchanted Forest, clinging to the notion that they're still royalty and that what they say actually matters here in Storybrooke. Their land was gone and with it so were their old titles. They were in Emma's land now and they were going to have to learn to play by her rules.

Emma pushed up off her chair and glared down at the now two unrecognizable people in front of her, her hands balled into angry fists at her sides.

"You seem to forget that this isn't the Enchanted Forest, and frankly, that shit isn't going to fly here. All of your fucking peasants and servants have been living as your equals for almost 30 years. I think you'll find that support for your agenda will be hard to come by. And I don't care what kind of Cub Scout get-together you hold or what you decide – _no one_ is laying a finger on Regina unless it's over my dead body. If you come anywhere near us I _will_ put you down. I don't give a shit _who_ you are."

Without waiting for a response, Emma stomped her way out of the apartment and slammed the door behind her with such force that it rattled her bones. She was so enraged that she didn't register Mary Margaret calling after her until she was tearing away in the cruiser, disappearing down the street; tread marks marring the path in her wake.

* * *

><p>Emma felt like an idiot for running out of there without any of her things. Not only would she have to find something to wear at Regina's, but she'd definitely have to head back to Mary Margaret's again soon, which was not something she was keen on.<p>

Emma knew that she couldn't head back to Regina's when she was this furious. It would only spark an argument and she'd had enough of that for today. The only thing she could think of was how badly she needed a drink, and before she realized that she was driving there, she found herself parked in front of the Rabbit Hole.

She was surprised that there were even any patrons at the Rabbit Hole at 1pm on a Saturday, as it was usually more of a late night type dive. With the curse breaking and all, maybe she wasn't the only one who needed a drink to deal with this fairytale shit show. She dragged herself over to a vacant bar stool, trying to ignore the obvious stares.

"Whiskey, please – make that a double." Emma said to the bartender, who came over immediately to take her drink order.

As she downed her whiskey in one gulp when it arrived, she couldn't help but notice in her periphery that the stares were lingering. Apparently being the savior makes you the town circus act, something for everyone to gawk at. Thankfully, no one had the guts to talk to her, so despite the staring at least she was able to drink in relative peace and quiet.

One drink turned into several, minutes turned into hours, with Emma losing track of both drinks and time – neither of which seemed to faze her much at the moment. She ignored the intermittent buzz of her phone from Mary Margaret's incessant attempts to try and mend the situation. Emma would have simply turned the damned thing off if she didn't need to keep it on for Regina.

Things were just so _monumentally fucked_. Before being dragged to Storybrooke, most of her energy had been focused on building herself a carefully constructed, fully autonomous life. She couldn't get betrayed again if she didn't let anyone in - if she didn't let herself rely on anyone else. Even though she had grown a bit lonely chasing bail jumpers and never really putting down any roots anywhere – it was comfortable and it was safe, and that's how she preferred it.

Ever since Henry knocked on her door on her 28th birthday and brought her to Storybrooke, everything about her deliberately planned and controlled life was completely turned upside down. The kid got under her skin, and her protective nature took over. And then there was Regina – who was an enigma since the first moment they laid eyes on each other that night she brought Henry back from Boston. Against her better judgment, something about the two of them physically compelled her to stay – and well, here she was, knee deep in shit a year later. In the blink of an eye she became a mother, a Sherriff, and now a savior and a daughter. When she was young she yearned for a family, to feel like she belonged somewhere, and now that she had all that, it was all too much for her to bear. Deep down, she didn't really event want any of it anymore. She didn't want to be anyone's anything – she didn't want anyone relying on her, but everyone did anyway. The weight of her burdens was suffocating her and all she wanted to do was run. It took everything she had not to run.

Emma glanced at the dusty old clock behind the bar and realized that she should probably be getting back. If she stayed and drank any longer she'd be drunk _and_ late, which combined would only infuriate Regina. She pulled out her wallet and paid her tab, leaving the Rabbit Hole to make her way back to the mansion.

* * *

><p>Emma felt slightly awkward knocking on the door of the place that was technically her home now, but being that she didn't have a key or anything, it's not like she had much of a choice in the matter. She was surprised but a bit relieved when Ruby was the one at the door to greet her.<p>

"Hey, Rubes." Emma greeted her timidly, both hands in her pockets, kicking at non-existent dirt under her boots.

"Went that well, huh?" Ruby replied, scrunching her nose from the keen smell of whiskey that was magnified unpleasantly by her wolf senses.

"Yeah, you could say that." Emma sighed, as she stepped into the foyer, with Ruby shutting the door behind her.

"Well, you may want to go…freshen up…before Regina sees you. She's already in the kitchen starting dinner." Ruby suggested, knowing that Emma would talk when she was ready, and didn't want to push.

"That's a good idea – thanks." Emma replied with a grateful smile as she started to head towards the stairs. She paused briefly and turned around.

"Hey, are you staying for dinner?" she asked Ruby.

"I'm sorry, I can't. Regina already invited me but I promised Granny I'd be back home for dinner tonight. Maybe next time though?" Ruby responded politely.

Emma attempted an understanding smile, but couldn't hide her visible disappointment. Her original plan was to talk to Regina and Ruby together, but she figured it was now was as good a time as any.

"Sure – but before you go… I was thinking, with all the changes happening around here, I'm going to need a deputy to help keep things under control. You interested?"

Ruby was surprised and thrilled by the suggestion, her smiled widening into a vibrant toothy grin. When she assisted in the investigation surrounding Kathryn Nolan's disappearance, for the first time in a long time, she felt as though she was useful and wanted. However, she had to return to her job at Granny's, as she couldn't leave her to run the diner all on her own. Maybe there could be a compromise.

"I'd love to, Emma. It can't be a full time gig, though. I still need to keep most of my shifts at Granny's. So, would part time be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think we could make that work. Can you stop by the station first thing Monday morning so we can iron out the details?" Emma asked.

"Sure, sounds good. See ya then." Ruby agreed, showing herself out.

Emma breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that at least one thing had gone right today. She strained to pull herself up the stairs, the whiskey making her boots feel as though they were made of lead instead of leather.

When she reached the bathroom she slumped over the sink and splashed ice-cold water onto her face in an effort to sober up. She used the toothbrush Regina left for her this morning and brushed her teeth to try to mask the scent of alcohol. What she really needed a hot shower and a change of clothes, but she'd have to figure that out later. Examining herself in the mirror and realizing that this was as good as it was going to get, she made her way downstairs so she wouldn't be late for dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter flew out of my brain in a stream of consciousness. I hope you like where it went!**

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><p>Please feel free to share your feedbackthoughts as it is always appreciated.

By the time Emma had reached the kitchen, the delicious scent of what Regina was preparing for dinner had already started spreading through the house. If she didn't know any better, she could swear the brunette was making…hamburgers?

"_Please_ just tell me I've died and gone to heaven." Emma pleaded melodramatically as she entered the kitchen, carefully examining the fruits of Regina's labor.

Regina spun around gracefully at the sound of Emma's voice. As always, she looked _perfect_, Emma thought. Even wrist deep in hamburger, the woman was flawless. Was there anything she could do that she couldn't make sexy?

"If you were dead, Miss Swan, I surely doubt that I would be making an appearance. I'm certainly the last person you'd want to spend eternity with." Regina quipped, breaking Emma from her momentary daydream.

"How would you know what my heaven would be like anyway? You do irritate the crap out of me, but if you were to be my personal chef in heaven I don't think I'd mind having you around. Besides, you're making hamburgers, which is my pretty much my favorite thing ever. How could I _not_ be in heaven right now?" Emma argued pointedly with an impish grin.

"Well I suppose it is your eternity, Miss Swan, so you may do with it what you will…" Regina responded dismissively.

"Damn straight! But seriously though, how did you know this was my favorite?" Emma asked as she moved closer to Regina.

She leaned backwards casually against the counter, taking in Regina's scent, which always smelled deliciously of apples and something faintly floral.

Regina turned to address Emma, and she didn't fail to notice how the blonde's pupils dilated when their eyes met.

"I have my sources, and they will remain anonymous." Regina answered coyly.

"You mean our son. You actually asked Henry what I like to eat? Are we in the twilight zone? Are some funny looking aliens probing around in my brain?" Emma asked skeptically while scrunching her face and jabbing at her head emphatically with an invisible probe.

Emma was perplexed, honestly trying to understand why the brunette would go to any lengths to do anything kind for her.

"Whether I like it or not, Miss Swan, you are currently a guest in my home and I will treat you as such. My mother wasn't always the best influence, but she did instill upon me importance of manners and being a gracious host." Regina answered as she placed the carefully molded burger patties on the grill to cook.

"Well, whatever the reason, _thank you_, Regina. You have no idea how much I need a good meal and a peaceful night. My talk with Mary Margaret and David didn't really go as smoothly as I had hoped." Emma frowned, pressing her lips together.

Regina washed her hands, wiped them on a dishtowel and began chopping tomatoes, onions and lettuce for the burgers.

"I didn't expect it would, dear." Regina said in a defeated tone, briefly pausing in her chopping due to a faint tremor in her hand.

"Oh no, Regina, you're okay, nothing is going to happen to you, I promise." Emma said quickly, realizing that she should have led with that in the first place.

Reaching out instinctively, Emma squeezed Regina's forearm reassuringly, feeling compelled to ease the brunette's fears.

"What are the idiots planning, Miss Swan?" Regina snapped.

Emma knew by the bite in the brunette's voice that she had to have been seriously distressed.

"They want to get a council together to vote your punishment. I told them that I wouldn't stand for it, though. This isn't the Enchanted Forest and I won't let them try to run it like it is." Emma answered defiantly.

Regina dropped the knife she was holding with a clang on the counter and yanked her arm from Emma's grasp.

"What makes you think that you can do anything to stop them?" Regina growled.

Emma sighed at Regina's heated response and knew that she had a point. Regina turned to flip the burgers on the grill so that they wouldn't burn.

"Mary Margaret and David wouldn't let anyone hurt me – and I'm not letting any of them lay a hand on you. Whatever it is that they decide, they won't go through with it." Emma insisted.

Regina resumed her chopping and remained silent for a minute. Emma may have been onto something – her parents wouldn't do anything to harm their precious daughter. Even if that was the case, they needed to prepare to defend themselves. They couldn't just sit around, twiddling their thumbs, waiting for them to make their move.

"Even if you're right, I think it would be foolish for us not to devise a defense plan." Regina advised practically.

"You have anything in mind? Cause I'm all ears." Emma asked, while picking up a piece of bacon off of a plate and eating it.

Regina glared at Emma while she chomped loudly on the crispy bacon. She removed the burger patties from the grill, loading each of them onto their corresponding buns.

"I've given it some thought and I believe it would be wise for us level the playing field. With magic being brought to Storybrooke, being that so few of us that can actually utilize it, it may provide us with an advantage."

Emma was obviously confused by what Regina was getting at because her face contorted painfully in an effort to put the pieces together.

"I thought you said that magic was different here?" Emma asked.

Regina pulled out the fries that were baking in the oven and transferred them into a bowl, lightly salting and tossing them to ensure an even coating.

"Magic works differently in this world – it takes a slightly different approach to tap into it, but it's here and it can be utilized. You do remember how we activated the hat, do you not?"

"Hold up – what do you mean, _we_? I was just – moral support. That was all you, Regina." Emma backed away from Regina, hands in the air, uncomfortable with the insinuation that she had any magical ability.

Regina rolled her eyes, and motioned for Emma to help her bring the plates of food to the dining room table. Emma tentatively obliged, keeping her distance from Regina while doing so.

"I'm quite familiar with magic, Miss Swan, and I definitely felt it emanating from you when you touched my arm. You may not have realized it before because there was no magic for you to access, but you have the ability, and attempting to deny that is simply foolish."

Just when Emma didn't think her situation could get any more bizarre, she's now burdened with the knowledge that she can use magic too. What will everyone think of her? The only other magic users she knew were Gold and Regina, and they didn't exactly have the best reputations. Maybe she can just pretend like she never had this conversation and never tell anyone…

"Even if what you say is true, what makes you think I'm capable of learning how to use it? You're powerful enough on your own, aren't you? No one needs to know that I have magic." Emma said, attempting desperately to find an excuse to never use magic.

"You can't deny what you are and what you're capable of, Emma. Turning your back on your magic would be a mistake. You shouldn't have to try and hide what you are to please anyone – especially your idiot parents. If you want to learn how to use your magic to protect yourself, I can help you." Regina offered as she brought the last plate out to the table.

Before Emma could open her mouth to argue further, Regina interrupted her.

"Now, why don't you go get Henry so we can sit down for dinner before it gets cold?"

"This conversation isn't over, Regina." Emma said with a huff, disappearing from the dining room to locate her son.

* * *

><p>Dinner was surprisingly pleasant, despite the tense conversation Regina and Emma had right before. Henry was thrilled to be eating burgers and fries, as this was clearly something Regina didn't allow him to indulge in often. Emma found that she was extremely satisfied by the meal herself. For someone who didn't cook this kind of "peasant food" as Regina endearingly called it, she did a pretty damn good job. Emma helped herself to two burgers and several helpings of fries before leaning back in her chair and rubbing her full belly in defeat.<p>

"Damn, Regina – if I stay here too long I may have to buy looser pants! Where did you learn to cook like that?" Emma inquired emphatically.

Regina scanned Emma's ill-mannered posture, but thought it impolite to insult her in the moment the blonde was paying her an ineloquent but generous compliment.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. Once the curse brought all of us here, I found that I had a lot of extra time on my hands. There weren't any servants to do the cooking for me in this world, so at first I learned due to necessity, but it instantly turned into an avid hobby of mine."

"Mom has always been a great cook, Emma! I'm sure she can make more of your favorites if you ask her to. You're going to stay here and live with us, aren't you, Emma?" Henry asked, his excitement morphing into concern.

Emma took a sharp intake of breath, darting her glance nervously to Regina, not really knowing how to answer that question without upsetting Henry. Plus, she didn't even really know what her plans were tomorrow, let alone long term.

Regina looked equally as stricken, her eyes widening and her hand clenching around her napkin.

Emma took a deep breath and decided that it was she who had to answer Henry since the question was directed at her. She reached forward across the table and grasped Henry's hand, which was balled up on the table, in anticipation of her response.

"Henry – your mom and I, this – it's not permanent. Right now I'm staying with you guys until we sort out everything in town and with your grandparents. After you and your mom are settled back in, I suppose I'll be looking for my own place. Somewhere close though, just like it was when I was living at Mary Margaret's." Emma explained carefully, trying to let him down easy.

Henry was visibly disappointed in the news, which caused Regina's heart to sink. She hated seeing Henry upset, and she could only feel like every time he was let down, it was because of her shortcomings as a mother.

Henry felt suddenly foolish for thinking that his mothers could possibly live in one house together in peace for very long. Just days prior, his mother had tried to poison Emma with a cursed turnover. How could he possibly think that all could change so suddenly? As much as he loved having both women in his life, it was difficult for him with all of their fighting. He thought he saw something changing between them but he must have been imagining it.

"I thought things were okay between the two of you now. You saved mom, and now you're eating dinner with us. Everything is so great now, with you living here, I get to see both of you every day. Why does it have to change?" Henry pleaded, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

Regina realized that Emma couldn't do this all on her own and decided it was time for her to step in.

"Henry, sweetie – Miss Swan and I have reached an understanding for the time being, but she's right, this can't be permanent. She has her own life to get back to, and we have ours." she explained in a tender voice.

"Everyone else gets to live with both of their parents! Why can't I? It isn't fair!" Henry began shouting, yanking his hand away from Emma.

"Kid – " Emma attempted to reason with him, but he didn't want to hear anything of it, and ran out of the dining room, up the stairs, and into his bedroom. The vibration of the door slamming shut could be felt throughout the house.

Emma sighed in defeat. "That went as well as could be expected…I don't know how I didn't see that coming."

Regina appeared unsettled by the whole interaction, but still managed to maintain her regal poise.

"With everything we have going on right now, Miss Swan, it appears we may have forgotten that our son may not have fully understood the fine details of our arrangement."

Regina stood from her chair and began clearing the table. Emma politely followed suit.

"To be honest Regina, I don't think we actually discussed what the arrangement would really be. I mean – look at me – I've been in the same clothes for what, like 48 hours now? I didn't really think past getting you back home and keeping you safe." Emma admitted, her face contorting visibly in distress.

It hadn't escaped Regina's attention that the blonde was in desperate need of a shower and a change of clothes. She eyed Emma's disheveled appearance in disgust as she brought a stack of dishes into the kitchen, carefully rinsing them and loading them neatly into the dishwasher.

"I think our arrangement can only go one way, Miss Swan. You'll stay here until this whole ordeal blows over, and then you'll find yourself your own place, just like you just told Henry. I certainly won't kick my son's birthmother out on the street when she has nowhere else to stay, but don't take that as an open invitation to drag your feet in finding an apartment."

Emma placed her stack of dishes in the sink and began rinsing them.

"Of course, I'm no freeloader. And while I'm here, I'm happy to pay you rent or whatever, you know, to cover food costs and everything. I'd like to contribute." Emma offered.

"If you insist, you can pay for the groceries tomorrow, as we'll be needing to take a trip to the store to restock." Regina said.

"Yeah, that'll work." Emma answered, surprised that her and Regina were actually agreeing on something without a fight.

Emma loaded the reminder of the dishes into the dishwasher and wiped the dampness from her hands onto the front of her jeans.

Regina sighed at Emma's complete disregard for the dishtowel that was readily available.

"I should go talk to Henry. He's probably had enough time to cool down a bit." Regina said.

"You sure you don't want me to go with you? Shouldn't we talk to him together? You know, establish some sort of united parental front?" Emma asked tentatively.

Upon hearing the blonde insinuate that they were equal parents to Henry, Regina's blood began to boil.

"I think this is well within my purview as the primary parent, Miss Swan. You may have weaseled your way into being a part of his life, but he's still my son in the eyes of the law. Your role in his life is what I allow it to be, that hasn't changed." Regina answered dismissively as she turned away from Emma and began her way up to her son.

Emma groaned in frustration at the brunette's aggressiveness. Every time they managed to take one step forward, Regina would force them several steps back again. She was going to put an end to it, right now. Emma stomped furiously after Regina, grabbing her arm and pulling her around to face her.

"You know, you really are an ungrateful bitch, Regina. I stuck my neck out for you and supported you in remaining Henry's mother and primary caregiver. That doesn't mean, that I go back to eating your bullshit. You don't own this town anymore, and you don't get to dictate the terms of the relationship I have with my son. I'm a part of his life now, and whether you like it or not, I get an equal say. If you push me Regina, so help me, I won't stop them from exacting whatever punishment they have in store for you."

Regina twitched angrily at Emma's power play, because she knew the blonde was right. Emma wasn't afraid of her because she no longer held all the cards in this town. As much as she hated to admit it, she was completely at Emma's mercy. Suddenly, Regina realized that she indeed had one more card to play, and the expression on her face morphed from that of anger to a devious sneer.

Emma was sent flying violently backwards into the air, slamming against the opposite wall in the foyer. She slumped over, grimacing in pain, clutching her left shoulder. Regina stalked over to her, heels clicking loudly on the wooden floor with each deliberate step. Grabbing the collar of Emma's leather jacket, she pulled Emma off the floor with alarming strength and pinned her roughly against the wall, causing Emma to cry out in pain from the force against her injured shoulder. Regina was so close to her that Emma was sure they were breathing the same air.

"I don't think you realize who you are challenging, _savior_. There's a reason why I was feared as the Evil Queen. With every moment that passes I gain greater control of my magic here. If you dare to take my son away from me, I guarantee you will regret it." Regina threatened in the deep menacing tone she utilized often as the Evil Queen.

"God, Regina, you really are a fucking piece of work. For the last damn time, I don't want to take Henry from you. You're his mother - I get it. I just want to be a part of his life. If I wanted to take him I could have done so already, you know that. So stop this idiotic pissing contest and get your hands off me! This is exactly what Henry was afraid of. After everything we've put him through, we owe it to him to be civil to each other." Emma implored, wincing through the pain and pushing Regina forcefully with her good arm, causing the brunette to stumble back several paces.

Emma walked past Regina, not really interested in waiting for her to answer. She helped herself to a generous glass of Regina's cider, taking it all back in one gulp in an effort to dull the growing pain in her shoulder.

"I don't understand why you see me as such a threat. Most kids have two parents, you know. He obviously doesn't have a father, so I didn't think it would do any harm for him to have two moms. It's clearly what the kid wants, anyway." Emma reasoned tiredly.

Regina's expression softened slightly as she walked over to Emma who poured Regina her own glass of cider, using only her uninjured arm. She examined Emma's arm and suspected that her shoulder may be dislocated.

"This isn't the kind of situation I'm equipped to deal with, Miss Swan." Regina offered in veiled attempt at an apology. "Henry is all I have – everything else that was ever dear to me was ripped away. I just don't think I could bear it if he was taken from me. I wouldn't have anything else to live for." Regina said, with a small quiver to her voice.

"Don't you think I get that?" Emma replied as she poured herself another generous helping of cider, taking another large gulp. "He needs you and you need him. I have no intentions of messing with that. I just want to find a way where I can fit into the equation without this all turning into World War III."

Emma staggered over to the sofa and sank gingerly onto it, trying not to knock her injured shoulder against anything in the process. Regina breathed a heavy sigh, placed her drink down onto the table and stood in front of Emma who could only manage a pained expression in return.

"I may have overreacted a bit. I shouldn't have used magic on you. Henry would be furious if he knew." Regina conceded apologetically. She knelt in front of Emma and pointed at her injured shoulder. "You really should let me take a look at your shoulder. I think it may be dislocated, and if it is, you can't possibly leave it like that without risking permanent injury to your arm."

Emma looked back at Regina skeptically for a moment, but she knew that the brunette had a point. It's not the first time she's dislocated a shoulder, and she'd have to get it back in place soon. Plus, it hurt like hell, but she wasn't about to let Regina know that.

"I'm pretty sure it is dislocated, but I doubt there's anything you can do about it Regina. I'll take myself to the ER and let Whale pop it back in for me. I need some fresh air anyway, and it's clear that you're fully capable of defending yourself for an hour or so." Emma said, as she leaned forward in an attempt to get up off the sofa.

Regina put a hand up in front of Emma effectively stopping her from getting up, as Emma wasn't in good enough shape to have a shoving battle with the brunette.

"You can't go see Whale, that man is an idiot. Besides, this isn't the first time I've re-set shoulder. Let me do it." Regina insisted.

Emma huffed in protest, but nodded in agreement, understanding that it was probably in their best interest to not let anyone know her and Regina got into any sort of physical confrontation. That would only cause them more trouble.

"Now, let's get this jacket off you…" Regina said.

Regina's arms reached around Emma's torso and gently guided Emma to lean forward away from the back of the sofa so she could safely remove the jacket without causing too much additional discomfort. Regina placed her right hand gently onto Emma's left collarbone for leverage as she guided her left hand under Emma's jacket by her right shoulder. Emma inhaled sharply at the sensation of the skin on skin contact. It wasn't because of the pain, but the tenderness by which Regina was handling her. She didn't know that the woman was capable of showing that for anyone but Henry. Regina froze suddenly at Emma's reaction, afraid that she had caused the blonde extra pain.

"I'm okay." Emma said reassuringly, noticing Regina's apprehension.

Emma was so close to her now that Regina felt the blonde's warm breath on her face as she spoke. Redirecting her focus back to the task at hand, she gingerly guided the leather off of Emma's good shoulder making every effort not to tug it in the process. Regina's soft fingers ran down Emma's lean muscular arm as she slid the sleeve off. Emma shivered slightly at the contact, her heart beginning to thump wildly in her chest. She began to panic at her body's reaction, realizing that Regina's other hand was resting right over her thudding heart, and she knew there was no way it had gone unnoticed.

Regina swallowed, trying to force out the lump in her suddenly dry throat. She felt Emma's pulse quickening beneath her hand, which was becoming increasingly hot every moment it remained against the blonde's skin.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" Regina asked awkwardly, attempting to ascertain if Emma's reaction was from pain or arousal.

Emma reached out her now free hand to cover the one that Regina still had resting against her collarbone. Emma could see Regina's breath hitch at the touch, and she knew at that moment that she wasn't the only one who felt something. Emma leaned towards Regina, slowly closing the gap between them. She hesitated briefly searching for consent in Regina's chestnut eyes. Emma knew that once she kissed Regina, there would be no turning back, so she wanted to be sure. Finding no hint of apprehension, she pressed her lips softly to Regina's. For a moment she didn't think the kiss would be returned but Regina began moving her lips in response, mimicking the tenderness of Emma's kiss. Emma had all but forgotten about the pain in her shoulder, moving the hand that covered Regina's and slipping it behind her neck to pull her into a deeper kiss. Regina moaned hungrily at the intrusion dropping her hand from Emma's chest, letting it trace a path down her torso and then around her waist pulling the blonde against her, desperate for more contact.

Emma involuntarily cried out in pain as her shoulder was tweaked awkwardly when Regina pulled her closer. Regina immediately broke all contact from the blonde as if she were touching furiously hot coals. Emma wanted to kick herself for letting a little pain disturb an amazing kiss with the sexiest woman she had ever laid eyes upon.

"Sorry Regina, I'm fine, really." Emma apologized profusely, trying to mend the awkwardness of the situation. She reached out and grabbed Regina's hand, lacing their fingers together to ensure that the brunette didn't feel rejected.

Regina was panicking, fully beginning to appreciate what she had just done. She kissed the Savior, the daughter of her sworn enemy. She was so foolish to have let her guard down like that, as nothing good could possibly come of this. She looked up and met Emma's kind hazel eyes, which only caused her body to betray her further, flushing hopelessly at the younger woman. She pulled her hand from Emma's and directed her attention back to the injured shoulder.

"I really need to finish tending to your shoulder, Miss Swan. If you would –" Regina insisted, signaling that Emma should resume her previous position so that Regina could remove the rest of the jacket.

Emma sighed and let Regina continue her work in silence. The brunette was always so guarded and it was beginning to infuriate her. If she would just relax and open up, everything would work itself out.

Regina slid Emma's injured arm out of the leather sleeve, leaving the blonde in nothing but a ratty black tank top that managed to hug every toned curve of her upper body perfectly. She didn't bother to remove Emma's shoulder holster or gun, as it didn't impede her task.

"In order for me to set it, you're going to have to remain completely still. It's going to hurt quite a bit, so I suggest that you take another swig of your drink before I continue." Regina explained.

Emma figured it wouldn't hurt, and downed the rest of her cider before readying herself for the pain.

"Unfortunately for me, this isn't the first time I've needed to have my shoulder popped back in its socket, so I'm fully aware of the kind of pain I'm going to be in. Just get it over with."

Regina firmly grasped Emma's shoulder with her left hand for leverage, and picked up the injured arm with her right. Intentionally without warning, she yanked on Emma's arm, snapping it back into place.

"Fuck!" Emma cried out in pain. "I'm going to need another drink."

"What you need is an ice pack. Wait here." Regina instructed.

Emma helped herself to another drink anyway, guzzling it down, and pouring another generous glass full. Her mind couldn't think about anything but that kiss. All she wanted to do was kiss her again but Regina was like a deer in headlights and she didn't want to spook her.

Regina returned with an ice pack and an ace bandage. She proceeded to cover Emma's shoulder with the soft ice pack, securing it to her by wrapping the ace bandage around her shoulder and chest. Regina tried as much as possible to avoid touching the blonde, afraid of what she may ensue if she did.

"Thanks." Emma said, when Regina was done securing the ice pack to her shoulder.

"It's the least I could do, being that I was the one who injured you in the first place."

"Still – thank you. It was a lot better than having to drag myself to the ER."

Regina nodded. "I suppose I should go talk to Henry before he gets ready for bed."

"I'd ask to go with you again, but I don't think he should see me like this. I'll wait here while you talk to him."

"The plan is still what we discussed? You'll stay here temporarily until you find your own place?" Regina asked looking for confirmation.

"Yeah, I think that's best." Emma agreed.

Regina forced a smile and retreated upstairs leaving Emma in the study. The blonde leaned back, closing her eyes, becoming lulled by the sound of Regina's heels that were growing fainter with every step.

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><p>When Regina made her way up to Henry's room, he was already in his pajamas, teeth brushed, huddled up under his covers reading Harry Potter with his flashlight.<p>

Regina knocked lightly on the door as she pushed it open slowly.

"Can I come in?" she asked gently.

"Yeah…" Henry answered morosely.

Regina sat down next to Henry on the edge of his bed. He placed a bookmark in his book to save his spot, and looked up at his mother impatiently.

"I'm sorry about earlier. We should have talked to you about what our plans were. Everything is confusing right now, even for us adults." Regina began to explain.

"I heard you fighting again. Why can't you both just stop fighting and get along?"

Regina sighed, feeling guilty that her outburst had caused Henry more worry.

"The argument we had was my fault. I'm having a hard time adjusting to the curse breaking and I just don't want anyone taking you away from me. I love you Henry, and I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Emma would never do that. You heard what she said – she thinks you're a good mom. She's the savior, she's here to protect us." Henry said confidently.

"I understand that now, Henry, but you know Emma can't stay here. She's only here temporarily. She will be getting her own apartment soon, and you can visit her there."

Henry folded his arms across his chest defiantly. "I don't see why you can't just let her stay here. We have the extra room. That way Emma doesn't have to be all alone again."

Regina frowned at the idea of the blonde being alone. It was her fault that Emma spent most of her life without a family, and now that she stuck up for Regina against her parents, she was once again, isolated and alone. She hated herself for the pain and suffering she was causing Emma, and now her son as a result.

"I will make it clear to Miss Swan that she can visit any time she likes. Maybe we can have her over for dinner once or twice a week. How does that sound?" She suggested in an attempt to assuage both Henry and her own nagging guilt.

Henry seemed to be satisfied somewhat at the suggestion, unfolding his arms and nodding at her.

"I think Emma would like that. I don't think she knows how to cook…and she loves your cooking."

Regina patted Henry's covered leg with her hand, and leaned forward to give him a kiss on the forehead.

"It's getting late, don't stay up reading too much longer, okay?"

Henry nodded.

"Goodnight, Henry. I love you." Regina said as she made her way towards the door.

"Love you too, Mom." Henry returned.

Regina shut the door softly behind her and sighed deeply. Her talk with Henry went well, but she still had to deal with Emma, who was most likely drunk already in her study. She ran an exhausted hand through her hair and made her way back downstairs to the blonde.


	5. Chapter 5

**I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for all of the kind reviews. I'm glad that you're enjoying reading the story as much as I am writing it. Please keep the feedback coming!**

**Even though this is rated Mature, I'd just like to warn you all that there is some explicit sexual content in this chapter.**

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><p>When Regina rejoined Emma in her study, she was surprised to find the blonde already passed out, most likely from a combination of pain, alcohol and pure exhaustion. Though she hated the idea of having to disturb Emma from what appeared to be pleasant rest, the ice pack needed to be removed, and she desperately needed a shower.<p>

Regina paused for a moment before waking Emma to appreciate how attractive she was while she slept. When she wasn't contorting her face in anger or sarcasm, the blonde was genuinely beautiful.

Regina carefully removed the now empty glass from Emma's hand and placed it on a nearby table. Not wanting to startle the blonde for fear that she would further injure her shoulder, she wasn't really sure how she should attempt to wake her. A soft approach was probably the least likely to startle her, she concluded. Raising a tentative hand to Emma's face, she gently pushed stray strands of hair out of her eyes, lightly caressing as she tucked them behind her ear. Emma began to stir from her touch and blinked her eyes several times before they came to rest on Regina in a confused expression.

"Regina?" Emma asked.

"Yes, dear, come on, we need to get you upstairs." Regina answered softly, offering Emma a hand.

It took Emma a few moments to work her way through the haze of cider and sleep, but when she felt the pain in her shoulder again, she remembered where she was. She reached out for Regina's hand with her good arm, letting her assist her into a standing position. Emma was visibly unsteady on her feet, so Regina quickly wrapped her arm around her waist. Emma leaned into Regina and letting her guide her silently up the stairs into Regina's bedroom.

Regina led Emma over to her bed and sat her down, before turning to collect some items from her closet.

"I take it you didn't grab any of your clothes when you were at your mother's today?" Regina asked.

Emma sighed, recalling how terribly the conversation went with her parents earlier that day. "No, I forgot. We argued, and I just kinda ran out of there, and I wasn't about to go back."

"As much as I detest the idea of letting you wear any of my clothing, it would be more unpleasant if you didn't get out of those clothes and take a shower. You're starting to ripen, Miss Swan." Regina said, scrunching her nose in disgust.

Emma leaned her head to her shoulder and took a whiff, nodding in agreement. She pointed to her carefully wrapped shoulder, hinting that she would need some assistance in removing it.

"Do you mind?" Emma asked sheepishly.

"Not at all." Regina answered, placing the pile of clothes she collected for Emma down on the bed beside her.

Regina carefully unwrapped the ace bandage from around Emma's shoulder and chest and removed the ice pack. She noticed that the blonde's shoulder was already swollen and darkening from the bruising that was forming, which caused her to be stricken with a pang of guilt.

"I gathered some clothes for you to sleep in, I hope you'll find them suitable for the night." Regina said, picking them up and walking into the bathroom to set them aside for Emma.

"Anything you have is great, thanks." Emma said, struggling to pull herself off the bed and following Regina into the bathroom.

Regina had already turned the shower on, and steam had started to fill the room.

"I'll be just outside if you need me." Regina said, moving her way carefully around Emma and out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Emma began peeling off her clothing, cursing herself at how tight everything was. Every time she had to tug at anything with a significant amount of strength, it sent shooting pains through her shoulder. After what felt like a half hour, she finally stepped into the shower, leaning her good arm against the wall, letting the hot water run down her body. Despite the pain in her shoulder, this is the most relaxed she's felt over the past few days. After enjoying the water for a few minutes, she figured she needed wash up and get out of there, as Regina was likely to be waiting for Emma to finish so she could too get ready for bed.

After Emma toweled herself off, she reached over to examine what Regina had set aside for her to sleep in. She found a pretty standard pair of cotton briefs and socks. There was also a white tank top, and a gray set of Regina's silk pajamas, top and bottom. She put everything on but the silk top, as she didn't want to yank her injured arm through another sleeve tonight.

As she exited the bathroom, she found Regina relaxing on her bed, working on the same crossword from the previous night. When Regina noticed the blonde's presence, she took off her glasses and laid them on her nightstand with the crossword, then got up and walked over to Emma.

"I'll take those." Regina said, motioning to the dirty ball of clothes that Emma was carrying. Emma awkwardly handed them to her, uncomfortable with the idea of the brunette handling her dirty undergarments.

"I'll wash them in the morning. That way you'll have something to wear when you go back to your mother's apartment to get the rest of your things tomorrow." Regina insisted.

"Uh, thanks, yeah." Emma stuttered.

Regina walked over to her hamper and tossed Emma's dirty clothes in.

"Why don't you sit down for a few minutes while I change?" Regina suggested, gesturing over to her bed, disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door.

Emma sat down on the edge of the bed, listening to the faint sound water running from the bathroom sink while Regina was washing up. The last couple of days had been particularly bizarre. Everything with Regina was always emotionally charged. One minute they'd be getting along moderately well, and the next minute they'd be at each other's throats. She wished that Regina would just lose the Evil Queen act and just let her guard down. She felt strange even thinking it, but Regina was actually really great to be around when she wasn't trying so hard to push everyone away. Over the past couple of days Emma had seen glimpses of a kind and loving person, someone that she was becoming increasingly attracted to. Well, she'd always been attracted to Regina because she was completely and utterly drop-dead gorgeous, but despite that, she had always disliked the brunette due to her insistence on trying to humiliate her and run her out of town. Now though, she's starting to see a new side of Regina. After sharing what Emma could only describe as an earth-shattering kiss, she found herself wanting to get to know the part of Regina that she fought so aggressively to protect.

Emma was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Regina exit the bathroom. Her eyes began tracing every curve in Regina's perfect figure until a deep, sexy voice broke her from her trance.

"It's time for you to get to bed, Miss Swan. You'll need to take these first though." Regina said as she transferred a few pills to Emma's hand waiting for her to toss them into her mouth to hand her the glass of water. Emma swallowed the pills and handed the glass back to Regina.

"Thanks." Emma said, forcing a crooked smile.

She started pushing herself off of Regina's bed with her good arm when she felt Regina place a hand on her chest, pushing her gently back down onto the bed.

"Where do you think you're going, Miss Swan?"

"To my bed?" Emma answered, perplexed by the question.

"Lay down, Emma." Regina said, turning the covers down for the blonde to get under.

"I'm confused. This is your bed, Regina…and you just called me Emma." Emma said, her face scrunching from the strain this whole situation was putting on her foggy brain.

"I'm not about to let you sleep on the floor with your arm like that, and the guest room is too far should you need me for anything during the night." Regina explained, waiting impatiently for the blonde to scoot under the covers.

"So…you want me to sleep here with you? Did I hit my head too?" Emma asked, groping at her head for signs of injury.

"Yes, Miss Swan, you will be sleeping here with me. Don't take this as an open invitation to feel me up during the night, because I will retaliate, even if you are currently an invalid. – Now lay down before I change my mind."

Emma knew better than to argue with Regina when she used that tone of voice on her. She let Regina guide her slowly down onto the bed, lying down gingerly onto her back. Regina pulled the covers over her and walked around to the other side of the bed. She got into the bed and under the covers, keeping herself as far away from Emma as the size of the bed would allow. She looked over to the blonde, noticing that her movements in the bed caused Emma to grimace in pain.

"I'm sorry." Regina apologized, mindlessly reaching for Emma and placing her hand gently on the injured shoulder. "I don't move around a lot when I sleep so hopefully I won't bother you too much."

Emma flushed involuntarily from the warmth of Regina's touch.

"I'll be _fine_, Regina. I've been hurt a lot worse before, and didn't have anyone taking care of me like this." Emma said, covering Regina's hand with hers and squeezing it reassuringly.

Regina had a pained look in her eyes and she seemed particularly troubled. Emma hadn't seen the woman this upset since Henry accidentally ate the turnover.

"All I do is hurt people, Emma. Look at what I did to you. I'm a monster." Regina choked with tears welling up in her beautiful brown eyes.

"You are _not_ a monster, Regina. You're just scared, and people lash out when they're scared. I'm not angry with you. You just need to promise me that you'll talk to me. I'm tired of fighting."

"I can't promise that we'll never fight, but I'll do my best." Regina agreed.

"I'm not going to hurt you Regina, I hope you realize that now. Come here." Emma said, sitting up in the bed slightly and gesturing for Regina to lean in for a hug.

"I'm sorry, Miss Swan, are you trying to get me to hug you?" Regina asked, looking simply appalled by the prospect.

"Yes."

"Well that's just absurd. I don't hug."

"I don't care. Just do it. It'll make you feel better, I promise."

Regina squinted at Emma for a moment, contemplating whether or not she was going to give in to this silly gesture. She decided that she would indulge the blonde, just this once.

Regina leaned in, being careful to avoid Emma's injured shoulder. She snaked her left arm around Emma's waist and her right around her neck. Emma used her good arm to pull Regina flush against her, burying her face into short brown locks. Emma took a sharp breath in, taking a moment to appreciate how amazing Regina smelled. She felt Regina's body slowly relax into her embrace, but after a minute Regina started to pull herself away from Emma, becoming increasingly uncomfortable the longer she was held in the younger woman's arms.

As Regina attempted to retreat from her grasp, Emma stopped her with a strong tug from the arm she had around Regina's waist.

"Stay. Stop running, Regina."

Emma didn't wait for a response before pulling Regina back in for searing kiss. She could feel Regina's nipples harden in arousal through thin silk of her shirt as she bit hungrily at the brunette's lower lip. Regina moaned in response, cupping her hand behind Emma's neck and pulling her in, begging entrance with her tongue.

Despite her injured shoulder, Emma was strong enough to roll Regina on top of her, sneaking an eager hand up Regina's shirt, desperately raking short nails roughly across hot skin. Emma positioned a taught thigh between Regina's legs, thrusting it against Regina's core. The brunette bucked from the contact, her lips pulling away from Emma's briefly as she groaned in pleasure.

Feeling the warmth emanating from Regina's rapidly mounting arousal as she continued to thrust against the brunette, all Emma could think of was how she desperately needed to feel all of her. Yanking down on Regina's shirt, she pulled her back into a rough kiss, exploring as much of Regina's mouth as possible with her tongue. She then pushed Regina away from her briefly to rip her shirt open in one forceful tug, causing several buttons to pop off in the process.

For a moment she thought she may have spooked Regina off with her aggressiveness, but the brunette simply shrugged what was left of the shirt off and tossed it to the floor. Regina traced her hands down Emma's torso, deliberately feeling every curve as she finally reached the waistband of the blonde's pants. She lifted herself briefly off of Emma to tug them off in one graceful pull, flinging them from the bed, leaving the blonde in the simple cotton briefs she had provided for her earlier. Regina wished she hadn't bothered giving Emma any underwear at all.

Regina leaned in and stalked her way back up Emma's body, sneaking a hand up the thin tank top, pausing only to knead Emma's breast and lightly pinching a nipple between two fingers, causing the blonde's breath to hitch as Regina met her lips in a thirsty kiss.

Emma moaned as the brunette straddled her and began rubbing herself against the blonde's own aching core. All Emma could feel was how soaked with arousal Regina was through the thin fabric. A bit constrained by only having full use of her one arm, Emma was forced to enlist Regina's help. She broke briefly from Regina's kiss to make her request.

"Pants. Off. _Now_." Emma panted.

Regina silently obliged, quickly shedding them to reveal she was not wearing anything underneath. She saw Emma's pupils dilate as the blonde took in a sharp breath and scanned her fully naked form in the dim lamplight of the room. Emma swallowed audibly and then looked straight up into Regina's caramel eyes, locking their gaze.

Regina could feel that what was happening with Emma was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She'd been with Graham on and off during her time in Storybrooke, but what she did with him was quick and dirty and almost always in the dark.

With Emma, there was the physical attraction of course, but there was also something much more intimate occurring between them that she couldn't quite identify. Emma looked into her eyes as if she could see straight through to her soul – and despite all of the darkness inside of her, she looked at Regina as if she was the most beautiful person that she had ever seen. No lover had ever looked at her that way before.

The longer they maintained eye contact, the more violently Emma's pulse thudded loudly in her throat. Fearful of losing her nerve in the vulnerability of their gaze, Emma leaned up to pull Regina back down on top of her into a desperate kiss, jerking them both back to the moment.

The blonde began sliding her free hand down between them to make contact where they both needed it the most. With a sharp intake of breath Emma ran her fingers through Regina's slick wetness, almost coming undone at how hot Regina was for her. Regina moaned, sending vibrations into the blonde's mouth as she started stroking the swollen bundle of nerves beneath her fingers. As her orgasm was steadily building, an impatient Regina began rubbing herself against Emma's hand, desperate for release. She leaned over and whispered sensually into Emma's ear.

"I _need_ you inside of me."

Emma answered by immediately plunging two fingers deep into Regina, causing her to whimper with pleasure at the sudden intrusion. With Regina straddling her, Emma had full access to thrust deep into her, beginning slowly at first, but increasing her pace as Regina began riding her hand, frantically dictating the pace of her rapidly impending orgasm. It was obvious to her now that Regina needed this as much as she did. It didn't take long for Emma to feel Regina's walls starting to constrict around her fingers, so she curled them towards her, urging the brunette towards her release. With a few last flicks of her thumb against her clit, Regina came hard, slumping over on top of Emma, riding out the residual waves of her orgasm.

Emma kissed Regina gently along her pulse point as her breathing slowed.

"You're so fucking beautiful, Regina." she whispered into her ear as she slowly removed her hand from inside Regina, wrapping it around her and stroking her back softly, tracing mindless patterns with her fingers.

After Regina caught her breath, she started to pull away, reaching down and tugging at Emma's underwear. Emma squeezed her tight, preventing any further movement. As much as she yearned for her own release, she had no intentions of letting go of Regina.

"Don't worry about me. I don't want you going anywhere. Plus, if you owe me, it means we get to do this again." Emma replied, grinning into the crook of Regina's neck.

Regina sighed, knowing full well that she was now putty in this woman's hands, despite all of her previous attempts to distance herself from her.

"Cocky, aren't we, Miss Swan?" she said in her best mayoral tone.

"I'd like to think of it more as greedy. I definitely want to see you naked again." Emma replied, reaching down to pull the blankets back over them.

Regina continued to lie on top of Emma, nuzzling her neck and resting her head on Emma's uninjured shoulder. Emma reached over to the lamp and turned off the light. There was a brief minute of silence before Regina spoke.

"Miss Swan?" Regina asked tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"Don't you dare hurt me." she whispered, failing to mask the tremor in her voice.

"I won't, I promise." Emma reassured her, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead tenderly.

Emotionally and physically exhausted, they both drifted off to sleep almost instantly.


	6. Chapter 6

**I want to thank you all for the support and reviews on the previous chapter. I'm so glad that you all enjoyed how our ladies got together! **

**Please continue to leave feedback. I love to hear what you think! Enjoy!**

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><p>Emma awoke that morning when her body jerked her abruptly from a nightmare, pulling her from her subconscious in a cold sweat.<p>

Her dreams were plagued with all of the scenarios her subconscious could concoct about what punishment was being planned for Regina. The last had been the most disturbing of all, as Emma had been tied up and forced to watch them burn Regina at the stake. The dream had felt disturbingly real. She could feel the rope digging into her own wrists as she thrashed wildly against her restraints, screaming for Regina.

A warm hand came to rest on her chest, and she suddenly remembered where she was.

"Try not to move too much, dear, you don't want to hurt your arm." Regina whispered against her neck.

"Sorry. Bad dream." Emma muttered, attempting to steady her breathing and pulling Regina closer to her.

"What about?" Regina asked with obvious concern to her voice.

Emma didn't see the point in bringing any of it up to Regina. She knew Regina well enough to see that the older woman was scared for her own safety but was too proud to show it. There was no need to put any extra burdens on her right now.

"It's not exactly the best pillow talk. I'd rather enjoy having you here in my arms." Emma said, making her best attempt at a smile.

Regina decided not to push, as she didn't want to ruin the moment either.

They both cuddled for a while, pretending that the world outside of that bedroom didn't exist. Eventually, Regina rolled over Emma to take a peek at the clock on her nightstand, which read 7:08AM. Henry would be up any minute.

"We should get dressed before Henry wakes up." Regina alerted her.

"I'm pretty much fully clothed, I don't know about you…" Emma joked, earning a poke from Regina to the ribs.

"Very funny, Miss Swan." Regina said, glaring playfully at her.

"I think after what we did last night, I've earned the right to be called Emma."

"I can't make any promises _Emma_, but I will try."

Regina pulled away from Emma, attempting to extricate herself from the bed to get dressed, when Emma tugged at her.

"Don't go. It's so early. Stay in bed a little longer." Emma pleaded adorably, pouting her lower lip just like Henry did so effectively.

"I wish I could dear, but I need to get dressed and start making breakfast for our son."

She leaned in and kissed Emma softly before prying herself from the blonde's grasp and sauntering completely naked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Emma groaned, figuring she should probably get up too, and maybe put some coffee on. She hadn't realized how stiff her shoulder had gotten from laying on her back all night until she tried to get up. If she didn't move it around, she'd start having some real trouble with it, so she bit her lip as she forced it into a few full rotations.

After throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she searched the floor for the pants she was wearing the night before. After locating them across the room where Regina had tossed them, she stepped into them and attempted to find the corresponding top. She'd need to cover up her injured shoulder so Henry wouldn't see. Emma suddenly remembered that she had left it in the bathroom last night when she had changed. She heard the shower running, so she thought it would be safe for her to sneak into the bathroom to grab it.

When she entered the bathroom, she was hit with a wall of steam, which made it difficult for her to see. She felt around for the shirt, finding it exactly where she left it on table beside the sink. She slipped it on gingerly, buttoning it back up in the front.

Unable to resist the temptation, she poked her head behind the shower curtain.

"Hey, gorgeous." she said though a big toothy grin.

Regina, spun around, startled by the blonde's presence.

"God, you scared me!" she exclaimed, pushing at Emma's face playfully with a wet hand. "What are you doing in here?"

"I left the shirt you gave me in here last night. I figured I should probably cover up before Henry sees my shoulder. I think it's best that he doesn't find out about our little spat." Emma explained.

Regina frowned recalling in full detail how she injured the blonde in a fit of anger the night before.

"Don't worry, I'll be all better in a few days." Emma reassured her, noticing the change in Regina's expression. "I'm gonna go make us some coffee, okay?"

"That sounds lovely, dear. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Emma smiled and left Regina to finish her shower and get dressed. She made her way downstairs to the kitchen to put on the coffee. Thankfully, Henry wasn't up yet, so she would likely be able to knock back at least one cup before the kid came bouncing down the stairs.

It didn't take her too long to find everything she needed to make the coffee. Once she turned it on to brew, she sat down and leaned against the counter, watching it as it dripped painstakingly into the pot.

As Emma watched the coffee brew, her thoughts drifted to the events of the last few days. Emma couldn't help but notice how each day became alarmingly stranger than the previous. First the curse broke, revealing that fairy tale characters and magic are actually real. The next day, as if that could be topped, she ended up in bed with _Regina_ of all people. What could possibly be next? Not that she was complaining, as her night with Regina was incredible, but she didn't know what to think of it. Were they a thing now? Was Regina going to continue to treat her like a human being? Or would they simply revert right back to how they were before the curse? Her and Regina were always like a ticking time bomb, as it was always only a matter of time before one of them snapped at the other.

All of it was completely overwhelming. For all she knew, she was probably still in shock or something. Ultimately, Emma was unable to come up with a definitive answer, so she resolved that she would just have to take it in stride, much like she did everything else.

The coffee finally finished brewing and Emma eagerly poured herself a cup in the largest mug she could locate in the cabinets. She searched the fridge and found a container of cream on the door. After depositing a generous amount into her mug she replaced it in the fridge. Emma didn't even bother to stir in the cream before taking a long hot sip. The warmth coursed through her body, having an immediate invigorating effect on the blonde. She sighed contentedly over her mug as she clutched it with both hands, only to be interrupted by Henry running into the kitchen to greet her.

"Morning, Emma! Where's mom?" he asked.

"Your mom's just getting dressed, kid. She'll be down in a minute to make you breakfast. Can I get you juice or something in the meantime?" she asked in an attempt to be a somewhat responsible parent.

"Orange juice would be great. Thanks Emma!" Henry said, hopping onto his regular stool, kicking his feet excitedly.

Emma pulled a glass from one of the cabinets and filled it halfway with orange juice, sliding it in front of Henry on the counter.

"So are we okay, Henry? I know you weren't too happy with me after dinner last night."

"Mom explained everything to me, and it sounds okay." Henry said with a shrug. "She even said you could come over for dinner a couple of times a week if you want. Isn't that great?"

Emma was surprised but delighted to hear that Regina had suggested for her to spend time at the mansion with her and Henry. Before now, she was barely allowed to set foot in the house, let alone be invited over for regular dinners. For just a moment, she allowed herself to acknowledge that the idea made her feel like she finally had a family.

"Yeah it is, kid. You know what that means though – if she's going to be making my favorite foods every time I come over, you're going to start having burgers and pizza twice a week!" Emma informed him with a devilish grin.

"Over my dead body." Regina said from behind her, entering the kitchen, winking discretely at the blonde as she walked over to kiss her son good morning.

"Oh come on, Regina, please?" Emma begged playfully with Henry simultaneously mimicking his birthmother's pout.

"I can't have our Sherriff growing soft from too many greasy fattening meals, now can I? I would be doing this town a great disservice." Regina said, arching an eyebrow at the blonde.

Henry giggled. "Emma would look silly if she were fat!"

Emma shot a glare at Henry. "You're lucky I'm skinny kid, or I'd be offended!" She turned to Regina. "So what _healthy_ breakfast will you be making us today, Regina?"

Regina finished stirring her coffee and took a sip that seemed all too intentionally sensual for Emma not to notice.

"I was thinking we could have omelets, if you'd like that Henry?" Regina suggested inclining her head at her son.

"Sure Mom! Can I have bacon in mine?" Henry asked.

"Absolutely, sweetie." She said as she turned the burner on for the pan and grabbed the needed items from the fridge.

"Hey, how is that even healthy? It has bacon in it!" Emma complained, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yours will have vegetables in it, Sheriff, that is, unless you want to fix your own breakfast." Regina teased, pulling her apron over her head and tying it neatly around her waist.

Emma feigned an exasperated sigh, taking another sip of her coffee. "A veggie omelet will be _great_, thanks."

Breakfast surprisingly went by without a hitch. Regina even snuck Emma a few slices of bacon after Henry finished his omelet and ran upstairs to get dressed, a gesture that Emma returned with an appreciative kiss.

"So, when do you think my clothes will be clean? I'd like to get started kinda early on those errands I gotta run today." Emma inquired casually.

"I put everything in the washer before I came down to make breakfast, so it should be ready to run through the dryer by now." Regina answered as she finished tidying up the breakfast dishes.

Emma was relieved to hear that she'd be able to get back into her own clothes soon. As much as she appreciated Regina's hospitality, silk pajamas really weren't her thing. Plus, she was still wearing a pair of Regina's underwear, which she found a little too strange at this point in their relationship, or whatever it was.

"Great, thanks, I'll take care of that. You got that shopping list ready so we can go pick up the groceries you need?"

"Of course, I'm surprised you remembered." Regina remarked, as the blonde would likely forget her head if it wasn't screwed onto her shoulders.

"I wouldn't forget. I owe you big time. Plus, you can't feed me if there isn't any food, and you know how much I love your cooking." Emma replied with a smirk.

Emma knew this next part probably wouldn't go very well, but given their current situation she didn't have much of a choice. She still needed to go to Mary Margaret's to collect her things, and she couldn't in good conscience leave Regina at the mansion with Henry unprotected. It crossed her mind that easing into the idea may be the best approach. Emma tugged at the front pocket on Regina's apron, pulling her in to soft but passionate kiss.

"Do you think we could stop by Mary Margaret's on the way to the supermarket? I need to grab my stuff, and I think it would go a lot quicker if you and Henry were with me." Emma said, in her best attempt at a causal tone.

Regina pursed her lips together and squinted deliberately at Emma, having understood exactly what the blonde had attempted. Regina chuckled in a deep maniacal tone that invoked in Emma both arousal and fear.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing, dear. As much as I enjoy your attempt at buttering me up, _nothing_ will incline me to want to spend time in the same room as your mother."

"Can't knock a girl for tryin'…plus, _totally_ couldn't resist those lips." Emma said in a low breathy tone, grazing her lips teasingly against Regina's.

"I may, however, be convinced to make an exception…just this once." Regina proposed in a sultry tone, pushing Emma away from her briefly to straddle her lap. She began trailing kisses down her jaw line as Emma struggled to form words.

"Mmmm...how could I ever repay you?" Emma moaned, wrapping a hand around Regina's firm backside and giving it a squeeze, causing Regina to grind into her lap.

"I'm sure you could find several ways…" Regina purred, nibbling softly on an earlobe. "However, it's getting late and our son will be dressed momentarily." She said as she began pushing herself up off of the blonde's lap.

Emma groaned at how Regina had toyed with her. "You're such a tease."

Regina shrugged. "I figured it would only be fair considering the torture you are about to put me through with your mother."

"Touché." Emma replied, with a weak attempt at a glare.

"Now go run your clothes through the dryer or we'll never leave this house." Regina said, shoving Emma out of the kitchen in the direction of the laundry.

"I may be able to convince you that staying in could be a _great_ idea, you know." Emma replied flirtatiously.

"I wouldn't doubt it, Miss Swan." Regina called after her, shaking her head.

"It's _Emma_!" she exclaimed as she disappeared from sight.

* * *

><p>The ride to Mary Margaret's was uncharacteristically quiet. Very little could interfere with the banter that normally ensued between Emma and Regina, but a visit to see Mary Margaret seemed to be the only thing that compelled neither of them to want to speak.<p>

Regina had agreed to go with Emma, half out of guilt after the previous night's altercation, the other half out of recognizing the sheer necessity of her presence. There was no way that Emma would leave her and Henry alone at the mansion while the situation in Storybrooke remained so precarious. It was also inevitable she supposed, that her and Mary Margaret would have to deal with their issues, so it was either now or later. Regina preferred the latter, but Emma was so overwhelmed about everything that she couldn't bear letting her deal with it all on her own, despite how much her stomach turned at the thought. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was beginning to have feelings for the blonde, and no matter how much she pushed, she couldn't manage to get rid of her. Emma made her feel safe and that scared her more than anything.

Emma hadn't bothered to call Mary Margaret to let her know she was going to be stopping by, as she knew it wouldn't have done anything to make the impending interaction any easier. If she were lucky, Mary Margaret wouldn't be home, but Emma knew better than to rely on that, as her roommate was always home on Sundays.

As the three of them ascended the stairs to the apartment door, Regina took a moment to remind Henry why they were there. She knelt down, straightening his coat as she spoke to him.

"Now Henry – I can understand that you want to spend time with your grandparents, but we're here just to gather Emma's things, alright? We can't stay long."

"Okayyy, Mom…" Henry sighed, kicking imaginary dirt on the ground with his Converse.

"Alright, well, here goes nothing." Emma said, walking up to the door, fidgeting with her hands nervously, trying to summon the resolve to knock.

"Oh for god's sake, Emma…" Regina snapped, shoving Emma aside and knocking authoritatively on the door.

"Coming!" They heard from the other side of the door, and after a few moments, the door swung open, revealing Mary Margaret in the god-awful matching sweat suit she wore on days she cleaned the apartment. Emma had assumed it was part of the wardrobe that Mary Margaret was originally cursed with when Storybrooke was created in the 80's but that did not mean she still had to wear it.

As soon as Mary Margaret saw who was at the door, the smile immediately vanished from her face.

"What is _she _doing here?" Mary Margaret sneered, her voice dripping with disdain.

Emma cleared her throat uncomfortably and stepped in front of Regina who had already assumed a defensive stance in reaction to Mary Margaret's aggressiveness. Seeing as though Regina could probably snap Mary Margaret in half like a twig without breaking a sweat, she thought it best to diffuse the situation immediately.

"Regina is here because I asked her to be…and so is Henry." she explained, pulling her son into view, hoping that Mary Margaret would make more of an attempt to be civil in the presence of her grandson. "We had some errands to run together and I forgot to grab my things yesterday, so here we are. Can we come in?"

Mary Margaret threw a cold glance at Regina, but then directed her attention to Henry.

"Of course you may. Can I get you anything honey?" she said as she put an arm around the boy and guided him towards the kitchen, leaving the door open for the other woman to let themselves in.

"Juice would be great." Henry said, and Mary Margaret hurried to pour him a glass as she sat him down in the kitchen.

Emma and Regina meandered awkwardly into the entryway of the loft, with Regina shutting the door behind them. Emma stuffed her hands into her pockets and let out a long drawn breath she was unaware she was holding.

"So…Henry, why don't you stay with Mary Margaret for a few minutes while your mom and I grab my stuff?"

"'Kay." Henry said with a shrug, taking a gulp of his juice.

Mary Margaret said nothing, but eyed Emma and Regina suspiciously as they made their way upstairs to Emma's room.

* * *

><p>Emma's room was small and starkly impersonal. The way it was decorated had Mary Margaret written all over it. Some horrid looking floral quilt was draped on top of what appeared to be the most rigid looking twin sized bed Regina had ever laid eyes upon. There was one plain white dresser and a small nightstand with an unfortunate looking lamp on it, the shade also adorned with another hideous floral pattern. There weren't any personal items anywhere around the room that would indicate that anyone was actually living there, but as Emma rifled through the drawers and the closet, hastily stuffing clothes into a couple of duffle bags, when Regina's heart began to sink.<p>

"Where are the rest of your things?" she asked, hoping that the blonde was just storing them somewhere for the time being.

"This is everything. Like I told you the other night, I pack light." Emma replied, continuing to pack her personal items into the leather bags without skipping a beat.

Regina knew that Emma had grown up in the foster system, moving from place to place, but didn't imagine that as an adult that her entire life could be contained in just a couple of duffle bags. It was arguably the most dismal sight Regina had ever seen, and all of it was her doing. When she sought to deprive Snow White and her Charming of their happy ending, she hadn't given much consideration to the fate of their innocent child.

"Emma…" Regina choked, in what was barely a whisper as she tenderly grasped Emma's forearm to break her temporarily from her hurried packing.

Emma turned, meeting Regina's eyes, which were rapidly filling with tears. Her brow furrowed in confusion, but when she opened her mouth to question the brunette, she was interrupted.

"All of this…it's my doing." Regina said dejectedly, gesturing to the pitiful collection of what could barely be deemed personal items.

Emma's face sank with understanding once she put together what Regina had meant. Reflexively she lifted her hand to caress the brunette's face that was beginning to contort with sadness and regret. Regina's expression softened at the warmth of the blonde's touch, and the brunette found herself involuntary leaning in, seeking to prolong the contact.

"Regina, the fact that I isolated myself, never let anyone close…basically living out of my car for the last 10 years – well that was my choice. You didn't do this."

"You were an orphan because of me, dear. Your parents would never have sent you away if I hadn't cursed them."

Emma shook her head, desperately wishing that Regina would stop blaming herself. "You said it yourself – Gold tricked you into casting the curse. You didn't plan for any of this to happen. I know you, and I know that you didn't intentionally mean to make me an orphan."

"Why are you so understanding? Why aren't you furious with me?" Regina questioned. It was unfathomable to her why Emma wouldn't vengeance for the awful life she banished her to. How could this woman even look at her, let alone care for her?

"Because I know that every bad thing you did as the Evil Queen you did because you were hurting. Family is supposed to be there to support you and help you, not manipulate you and use you. You were abandoned by your family too, just like me, don't you see that?" Emma pleaded, desperately trying to reason with the brunette.

Despite Regina's efforts to contain her emotions, a single tear streamed down her face, tracing a path right over the scar on her lip. The next thing she felt were Emma's lips crashing into hers. The taste of salt from her own now steadily falling tears mingled with their kiss as Emma's mouth moved desperately against hers.

Regina could have let herself get lost in that kiss, but the reality of it all came rushing back and she knew that they had to finish what they were there for. She pulled away from Emma and carefully wiped the tears from her face.

"We should finish packing your things, Henry is waiting for us." Regina reminded Emma while averting her eyes, ashamed that she lost her composure.

"Okay." Emma conceded with a frown, letting Regina help her sort through the pile of clothes on the bed.

* * *

><p>After a bit of bickering, Emma finally let Regina help her carry some of her stuff down the stairs. Regina was adamant about assisting the blonde as she was still heavily favoring her injured shoulder. Emma tried to pretend that it wasn't bothering her, but Regina could see the microscopic changes in her facial expressions when the blonde attempted to mask her pain.<p>

When Emma and Regina descended the stairs with the bags of Emma's belongings, Mary Margaret rushed over to confront them, leaving a stunned Henry in the kitchen to watch the altercation. It was evident that Mary Margaret had been silently working herself into a tizzy while they were upstairs packing.

"How can you do this? How dare you take my daughter away from me _again_!?" Mary Margaret shouted accusingly at Regina.

Regina let out an exasperated sigh. "I didn't take her away then and I'm not doing it now, Snow. You drove her away twice all on your own."

Emma shifted uncomfortably as she did not want to be meditating this conversation, especially not with Henry around. Maybe bringing them here with her was a mistake.

"Hey – guys, just stop. Regina's not making me do anything. I already explained this to you, Mary Margaret. Henry is my family and Regina is Henry's family. That makes the three of us a family. I don't see what's so hard for you to understand."

Mary Margaret shook her head furiously, fighting off the tears that were beginning to form behind her eyes.

"You don't know what happened in the Enchanted Forest, Emma. I gave her chance after chance and she just threw it in my face. I'm not the heartless monster you're making me out to be."

Emma took another step toward her mother. "Well then give her another chance. Do it for Henry, and do it for me, because it's what we need. You saw the good in her, I know you did, otherwise the two of you wouldn't be here right now."

Mary Margaret paused for a moment to contemplate what Emma's words. The look in her eyes told her that Emma was just as stubborn as she was. She remembered what it felt like – how she didn't want to give up on Regina either. All of this could have been avoided if she had just had Regina executed like David had urged her, but she didn't have the heart to give up on her. Even after she had Regina banished, she always held onto a sliver of hope that the girl who rescued her was still inside, somewhere deep down beneath the darkness of the Evil Queen.

"We're getting the council together for a meeting this Wednesday. Since you are our daughter, and technically the Princess, you have the right to attend and the right to a vote. Your father may disagree, but I will allow it."

Emma winced at the word 'princess' but decided that now was not the time to discuss that issue. She recognized Mary Margaret's obvious concession to appease her, but despite her mother's efforts, Emma was not satisfied completely by the gesture.

"What about Gold? Did you know he's the one who created the curse, who tricked Regina into casting it? What are you going to do about _his _punishment?"

Mary Margaret was taken aback by how much Emma knew about the curse and about Rumplestiltskin – arguably, more than even herself, but she wasn't about to reveal that. Regina had obviously wasted no time in poisoning Emma with her version of past events, and attempting to argue that point would be fruitless.

"Any issues you may have with Rumplestiltskin can be brought up at the council meeting."

Emma groaned with frustration. "And what do we do until then? I'm afraid to leave Regina and Henry alone. Can you get everyone to promise that no harm will come to Regina before any sort of decision is made? They'd listen to you if you told them to leave us alone."

As much as Mary Margaret disliked doing anything for Regina, she knew that if she wanted to win her daughter back, fighting her on this issue would ensure they'd never reconcile.

"I will ensure that everyone respects Regina's safety until a decision is made regarding her punishment…but I'm doing this for you and Henry, _not _for you Regina." she said, throwing a glare Regina's way.

"I wouldn't be foolish enough to assume otherwise, dear." Regina replied coldly.

"Thank you." Emma said to her mother sincerely.

"Come on Henry, it's time to go." Regina called to her son, arm outstretched.

Relieved that his mother was going to be alright, at least for now, and that this uncomfortable conversation was over, Henry hurried across the room, eager to leave.

"See you later, Mary Margaret." he said neutrally.

"I'll see you Wednesday, then." Emma said forcing an uncomfortable smile, readjusting the duffle bag on her shoulder as she began heading towards the door.

Mary Margaret returned the smile stiffly and stood silently as she watched the three depart. Henry exited the door first, followed by Regina and then Emma. Just before Emma turned to pull the door closed behind her, Mary Margaret noticed her guiding the brunette out with a gentle hand on the small of her back. She had to physically stifle a gasp by clapping a hand to her mouth as she was suddenly struck with an alarming revelation.

Emma's behavior had been peculiar since the curse broke, but Mary Margaret imagined it was simply a product of being overwhelmed with having finally found her parents and learning that she came from a world of magic.

It was now glaringly obvious that there was another element at play with her daughter.

_Regina_.


	7. Chapter 7

**Once again, thank you all so much for the positive reviews! I found myself laughing a bit while writing parts of this chapter and I hope you all do so while you're reading! **

**PS: Reviews are my crack and they keep me motivated, so if you feel so compelled, please leave one! **

**Thank you!**

* * *

><p>"I'm home!" David announced as he entered the loft with two arms full of groceries. He put all the paper bags down on the kitchen counter and started unpacking them when Mary Margaret appeared from upstairs.<p>

"I couldn't find any of that blueberry pie filling so I bought strawberry instead, I hope you don't mind…" he rambled, failing to take notice of Mary Margaret's unsettled expression.

"David…" she prompted in an uncertain voice, not really sure how to explain what she just witnessed to her husband.

It was upon hearing the concern in his wife's voice that he looked up from his task. He immediately strode over to Mary Margaret, grasping her by both shoulders.

"What's wrong, did something happen?" he asked frantically, searching Mary Margaret's eyes for any hint of what had occurred.

Mary Margaret didn't really know the best way to explain what happened earlier to her husband, as she wasn't really sure what she had witnessed. She had hoped that David could help her make sense of the whole situation. He always managed to ground whenever things were uncertain.

"Emma, Regina and Henry stopped by while you were gone." she explained vaguely.

"Regina was here? With Emma? Why?"

"Well, she came by to pick up her things and bring them to Regina's."

"So she's not coming back then?" David asked, his voice laden with disappointment.

"No, I don't think she will be anytime soon." Mary Margaret replied in a tone that suggested there was more to the statement than she was letting on.

David wasn't happy with the news, but couldn't say that he was surprised. Emma hadn't really given them much of a reason to believe that she would want to live with them as a family at any time in the near future. The last place he wanted his daughter was with Regina, but he tried to take comfort in the fact that Emma was with Henry, and she would at least keep him safe. He figured that Mary Margaret would have felt the same way, but due to her troubled expression, he suspected there was more that she hadn't told him.

Mary Margaret pulled away from David and walked over the kitchen to continue putting away the groceries. It always helped her find the right words in a difficult situation if she busied herself with a mindless task.

"I think I saw something, and I'm not sure if I'm blowing it out of proportion, but it would explain a lot."

"What do you mean?" David asked, planting both hands firmly on the counter, watching Mary Margaret intently as she scurried to put various items away in the cabinets and the fridge.

"I think something may be going on between Emma and Regina." she blurted out quickly, as if getting out faster would be less painful.

David's face contorted in confusion. "I'm sorry – you mean, like _romantically_?"

"Yes…I mean, I can't be sure, but don't you think it makes sense? The way they always bickered with each other…it's just like how you and I were in the beginning."

"Maybe they bicker because they don't like each other. It doesn't mean they're romantically involved." David said dismissively, trying to explain away her fears.

Mary Margaret stopped what she was doing to take a deep breath and met her husband's gaze.

"If it was j_ust_ the bickering…maybe…but that doesn't explain…the _touching_." she replied, as if the last word tasted sour as it crossed her lips.

As Mary Margaret's words sank in, David was stricken with both anger and disgust.

"_Touching_? What do you mean _touching_?!" he snapped, rapidly losing his composure.

"Not like _that_ David, calm down." she backtracked, realizing she probably should have been more specific. "It wasn't anything big, it was subtle, and I almost didn't even catch it. They were leaving and Emma placed her hand on the small of Regina's back, while she was guiding her out the door. That's not a place where you really touch someone unless you're just looking for an excuse for the extra contact."

David pondered his wife's explanation for a moment. He tried to think of the instances where someone would put their hand there, and he really couldn't think of any other decent reason other than the one Mary Margaret provided. If Emma did have feelings for Regina, it would explain how protective she had been acting, and how angry she had been over the idea of Regina being punished.

"Let's say that you're right. What are we supposed to do about it? The council meeting is in a few days and everyone is going to want justice."

Mary Margaret expelled a long sigh and replied with a shrug, shaking her head. "I don't know, David. That's the problem. If we let anything happen to Regina, Emma will never forgive us, and neither will Henry. As much as I want Regina to be punished, we'll only be punishing ourselves if we push our daughter and grandson away forever."

The two of them exchanged concerned looks, neither of them prepared to deal with the impossible situation they had ended up in. However, it was not new for them to have to fight to keep their family together. David reached over to his wife and covered her hand with his.

"We _will _find a way. We _always _find a way." he said confidently.

As grim as the situation appeared, Mary Margaret trusted David's unwavering resolve. They've always found a way to be together, and they will again, she was sure of it.

* * *

><p>Regina had assumed that her trip to Mary Margaret's would surely be the worst part of the day. Much to her dismay, she couldn't have been more wrong.<p>

Taking Emma and Henry together to the supermarket was like trying to shop with two children, not one. Every time she turned around there were more junk items thrown haphazardly into her cart, none of which were on her shopping list. Normally she shopped alone, strictly adhering to her list, stacking her items neatly in her cart and making one organized sweep from one end of the store to the other. Her shopping trips never took more than a half hour, but today, they've already been there for 45 minutes and they weren't even halfway done with her list.

"I understand that you are paying for the groceries this week Miss Swan, but _must_ you have _three _types of candy bars?" Regina snapped.

Emma couldn't help but smirk at how infuriated the brunette was becoming. Regina was adorable and ridiculously sexy when she was agitated.

"I'm anticipating a pretty long week down at the station, and you gotta have the right selection of snacks to get through a night shift." she said, tossing the candy bars into the cart.

Regina rolled her eyes and exhaled sharply as the blonde was testing her patience. "I thought we accomplished that with the mixed pack of chips and the 5 bags of beef jerky."

"Nope. You need to balance out the salt with something sweet. Everybody knows that." Emma replied matter-of-factly.

Regina huffed and pushed the cart past Emma to where Henry was perusing some cookies down at the end of the aisle. Emma followed a few steps behind, cocking her head to the side and taking the time to appreciate how _perfect_ Regina's ass looked in those pants.

"I know exactly what you're doing, Miss Swan." Regina called over her shoulder.

Emma blushed and jogged a few paces to catch up with her. She stuffed her hands into her tight jean pockets and cleared her throat.

"How do you _do_ that? Do you have eyes in the back of your head? I always thought that was some myth moms told their kids to get them behave, but now…"

"You're entirely too predictable, dear." Regina replied.

"I am not!" Emma whined.

"There's a reason why every time you challenged me over the past year, you lost." Regina reminded her.

Emma grumbled, as Regina was probably right. She had bested her at every turn, even though she hated to admit it.

Henry tried to monopolize on his mothers' momentary distraction to sneak a couple of packs of double stuffed Oreos into the cart, but was halted by Regina's swift hand obstructing his path.

"I sincerely doubt you need more than one pack of Oreos. Put one back." Regina instructed.

"Awww, come on mom, you let Emma get whatever she wants." Henry groaned, returning one of the packs to the shelf.

"That's cause I'm buying, kid. When you pay, you can get as many packs of cookies as you want." Emma explained.

Henry dragged his feet in protest as they rounded the corner down the next aisle.

* * *

><p>The rest of their shopping only took another 15 minutes, as Emma began to take pity on how frazzled Regina was becoming by the whole ordeal. She wrangled Henry as best she could so Regina could finish up grabbing what she needed. After Regina crossed off the last item off the list with her pen, they made their way over to the cash register, paid, and bagged everything.<p>

Up to that point, they had attracted a few stares, but no one dared to confront them while they were shopping. As they were loading their items into the trunk of the cruiser, an obviously inebriated Leroy stumbled over to antagonize them.

"What do you think _you're_ doing, Sherriff?" Leroy growled.

Emma finished arranging the couple of shopping bags she had in her hands in the trunk, then turned to face him.

"What does it look like, Leroy? I just finished grocery shopping." she answered impatiently, not really in the mood for an altercation.

Regina took the momentary distraction as an opportunity to ensure Henry was safely secured in the car before returning to her place beside Emma.

"What are you doing with _her_? he clarified by shooting a glare straight at Regina.

Emma's aggravation was becoming increasingly visible as the muscles in her jaw tightened and she involuntarily clenched a fist at her side. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to maintain her composure before answering.

"I don't see how what I do or who I'm with on my personal time is _any _of your business."

"It is when it involves the Evil Queen. Why isn't she locked up?" Leroy asked angrily as he pointed at Regina.

Regina was about to respond when Emma held up a hand to stop her. The last thing they needed was for this to escalate.

"I'm not going to have this argument with you, Leroy. You can say whatever you want to say at the council meeting, but this is not the time or the place. Now get lost before I drag you in and lock _you_ up for drunk and disorderly."

"This _isn't_ over." Leroy spat, turning to stumble his way back to the Rabbit Hole.

After checking to ensure no one was watching, Regina took Emma's hand, lacing their fingers together.

"You must be growing tired of having to defend me, dear." Regina sighed.

"Everything will be sorted out in a few days, so don't sweat it." Emma assured her, squeezing her hand before releasing it.

"We should get going before anyone else gets brave enough to speak their mind." Emma said as she turned to transfer the rest of their grocery bags into the trunk of the cruiser. "Why don't you hop on in, there's just a few more bags." she said, nodding towards the front of the car.

"Alright, dear, don't be long." Regina said as she slid around the passenger side of the car and got in.

"Are they ever going to leave us alone, mom?" Henry asked, having seen and heard the entire exchange with Leroy.

Regina's heart sank at the sound of her son's worried voice. The worst part was that she really didn't know the answer to that question and all she wanted to do was reassure her son. She did her best to do so without lying to him, as that would upset him even more.

"I think that everything will be sorted out after the council meeting, dear."

That was as close she could get to telling him the truth without having to lie. Regina was sure that after the council made their decision, there wouldn't be any reason for anyone to harass her anymore. It would be unlikely that she would still have her freedom or her life.

"I hope so. I hate seeing everyone so upset. I just want everything to go back to the way it was." Henry said with a huff, his lower lip protruding in a pout.

"Me too, Henry." Regina said as Emma slammed the trunk shut.

A few moments later, the driver's door opened and Emma settled into the seat, buckling herself in. She did her best to put on a happy face for Regina and Henry, as she knew how hard the last few days had been on everyone. Thought she hated to admit it, in the back of her mind, she knew that these may be their last days together as a family and she wanted to make them as pleasant as possible.

"What do you guys think about having a game night after dinner?" Emma suggested as she pulled the cruiser from its parking spot and began driving them back to the mansion.

"Do I get to pick?" Henry asked eagerly, his demeanor instantly brightening.

"Sure, kid. How about it, Regina? Or are you too afraid to get your butt kicked?" Emma turned to the brunette, flashing a flirtatious grin and tossing her a wink.

Regina smiled softly at Emma and Henry. The two of them had an innate ability to sneak their way into her heart with as little as a glance. It never failed to have an instant calming affect on her.

"Challenge accepted. I'm quite the force to be reckoned with, I assure you." Regina flirted back at the blonde.

"I guess we'll see who comes out on top, then." Emma said, biting flirtatiously at her lower lip.

"That we will, Miss Swan." Regina said, exchanging an understanding glance with the blonde.

* * *

><p>"Why on earth would I want to trade you any of my sheep, Miss Swan?" Regina protested swatting Emma's hand away from her hand of cards.<p>

Emma rolled her eyes at Regina who still was having difficulty grasping the whole premise behind Settlers of Catan. "Cause you're shitting bricks over there, Regina, and I've got plenty of wood for you to build your roads with."

"Language!" Regina snapped.

"Sorry, kid." Emma apologized to Henry reflexively.

Henry laughed at his mothers who had been bickering non-stop since they began the game about an hour ago. He didn't fail to notice that their fighting was turning more into pretend fighting. He didn't quite understand what had changed between them, but they were getting along better, so he tried not to over think it.

"You have to trade to win, mom! That's why I picked this game, it forces you to cooperate with each other." he said, darting an obvious look to both of his mothers.

Emma squinted at her son and shook her head while examining the cards in her own hand. "He's too smart for his own good, you know. I blame you."

Regina glared at Emma. "Well he does have half your genes, which is what I attribute his affinity for meddling in other people's business to - "

"Mom! It's still your turn." Henry whined, beginning to lose his patience.

Regina huffed, staring down at her hand of cards. "I still don't understand why you want to give me your wood if that would benefit me. What are you getting out of it, Miss Swan?"

Emma bit her bottom lip in an attempt to hold back her laughter. She decided it would be way more fun to play along. "Well, I would be perfectly content in giving you some of my wood if you'd trade me some of your sheep. That way, I can build the settlements I need, and you can build your roads. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Regina thought seriously about the trade for a moment. She did think that securing the longest road would be the easiest _route_ to victory. Subsequently, she chuckled to herself when she realized the silliness of her own pun. She finally concluded that it would be wise to trade with Emma, as she didn't have any settlements on a source of wood.

"As I don't have my own direct source of wood, I think I'll take you up on your offer."

Emma choked on the diet coke she was drinking. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to maintain her composure.

"The tough question now, is how much wood do you need?" Emma asked Regina, winking slyly at her.

"As much as you'd be willing to give, Miss Swan." Regina responded seriously.

Emma finally reached her breaking point, toppling over in laughter that left both Henry and Regina sitting there totally perplexed.

"Are you alright?" Regina asked curiously.

After Emma caught her breath she leaned over and whispered into Regina's ear, explaining the entire exchange about the wood.

Regina smacked Emma on the arm and pushed her away playfully.

"You are utterly depraved, Miss Swan." Regina said, feigning disgust.

"And you love it." Emma said, grinning while she handed Regina her stack of wood.

* * *

><p>It took them another hour to finish their game of Settlers, with Henry claiming the victory by securing the largest army. Regina took Henry upstairs to get him ready for bed while Emma cleaned up downstairs. She had just finished arranging all the pieces neatly back in the box when she heard the clacking of Regina's heels echoing down the stairs.<p>

Emma looked up at Regina and smiled warmly. "That was kinda fun, wasn't it?"

Regina returned the smile, taking the box from Emma and placing it in Henry's game chest. "I must admit - game night is certainly more interesting with three players, rather than two."

Emma pulled Regina towards her by her belt loop, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I knew you were pretty much the perfect mom, but I have to say, I didn't quite see you as the game playing type."

"There are many things that you don't know about me, Emma." Regina replied coyly, resting her arms on the blonde's shoulders.

"How about we head upstairs and you show me a few." Emma suggested with a devilish grin, reaching up and pulling Regina in by her shirt collar for a passionate kiss.

Regina melted into the blonde, finding herself unable to resist the prospect of returning last night's…_favor_. Knowing that this may be one of her last nights to be held in the arms of another, she failed to find a reason why she shouldn't. Emma made her feel something that she never thought she'd be capable of feeling, and she never wanted to let it go.

Regina ran her hand down Emma's arm and joined their hands together.

"Well then what are we waiting for, Miss Swan?" she replied in a sultry tone, leading Emma hurriedly upstairs, who eagerly followed in anticipation of what the rest of the night had in store for her.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Emma yanked back on the hand joined with Regina's, spinning her around landing in a thud against Emma's chest. The blonde's lips crashed into Regina's while she wrapped her strong arm under Regina's backside, pulling her against her hip. She let out a low moan at the sensation of the brunette's body rubbing against the seam of her jeans in just the right spot. Emma lifted Regina, pushing her towards the bedroom. The brunette hopped up and locked her legs around Emma's hips, digging her heels into the back of toned thighs when her back was thrust against her bedroom door. Regina released one arm to reach around behind her, turning the door handle, causing Emma to stumble through the doorway into the bedroom.

Emma kicked the door shut with her boot and staggered towards Regina's bed. When her knees bumped against the edge of the bed, she laid Regina down gently on her back, finally releasing the brunette's lips to come up for air.

Ignoring the now throbbing pain in her shoulder, Emma started yanking at her leather jacket, trying to pull it off. Regina stopped her immediately by grabbing the front of her jacket and pulling her back down on top of her.

"Don't over-exert yourself my dear, I'll take care of that for you." Regina purred, flicking her wrist, leaving both of them completely naked, and their clothes in a pile on the floor across the room.

Emma's eyes widened in surprise at their sudden nakedness. "You will _have_ to teach me how to do that."

"In time, but for now - " Regina answered, capturing Emma's lips with her own and skillfully rolling her over onto her back. " – I believe I have a debt that is in need of repayment."

Emma gulped so loudly she was sure that it echoed through the entire house. Her heart began to race uncontrollably as Regina started placing a trail of kisses starting at her jaw line, slowly nibbling and sucking her way downward. After dragging her lips along the blonde's tight abdomen, she paused only to push apart the pair of toned thighs.

Glancing up at Emma, Regina observed how the blonde's eyes were already screwed shut with anticipation, and her teeth digging through her lower lip. Regina hovered over Emma's core, reveling in the musky scent of the blonde's arousal. A devious grin made its way across the brunette's face as she licked her lips and then ran her tongue through Emma's slick, glistening folds.

"Fuck, Regina!" Emma cried out, balling her hand tightly around the pillow behind her in an effort to maintain some shred of control.

All Emma could register was the warm steady stroking of Regina's tongue as she mindlessly threaded her hand through the brunette's hair, urging her to apply pressure where she really needed it. When Emma started to whimper, Regina began flicking her tongue over the swollen bundle of nerves, causing the blonde's hips to thrust frantically against her mouth. Regina contemplated teasing the blonde more, but ultimately decided to grant the release that Emma so sorely needed. Wrapping her lips around Emma's clit, she sucked while continuing the flicking motions with her tongue, finally bringing the blonde to an explosive orgasm.

"Jesus, fucking, shit, Regina!" Emma shouted, riding out the waves of her orgasm.

As Emma attempted to catch her breath, Regina wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and crawled her way back up, planting a very wet kiss on Emma's lips. Regina ran her tongue along the blonde's bottom lip, begging entrance, which was generously granted. Emma tasted herself on the brunette, who despite her momentary exhaustion was only becoming increasingly aroused. She moaned into the kiss, when Regina pulled away with a smug look on her face.

"Well, look who's cocky now." Emma said playfully, observing the satisfied look on Regina's face, and pulling the brunette flush against her body.

"Speaking of _cocky_…" Regina said, pulling herself up off of the blonde and flicking her wrist in the air.

Emma looked down to see that a strap-on had been magically conjured onto her.

"Oh, very funny Regina. You really do have a _unique_ sense of humor."

"Yes, dear. I take it you know how to use it?" Regina toyed with her mischievously, raking her fingertips down the blonde's chest.

Emma's expression darkened with lust as she swatted away Regina's hand and slid out from underneath her. She positioned herself behind the brunette, who still remained on all fours. Wrapping an arm around Regina's waist and leaning forward, Emma pressed herself against the brunette's throbbing core.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Emma whispered hoarsely into Regina's ear before leaning backwards to adjust her magical conjured equipment, sliding it through the brunette's slick heat and then thrusting it deep into Regina without warning.

Regina whimpered with pleasure at the sudden but welcomed intrusion. Emma was totally unprepared for how tight and warm Regina was and how amazing the pressure felt on her all too lifelike appendage.

"God Regina…I can…_feel_ you. What did you do to this thing?" Emma groaned, beginning to thrust in and out of the brunette slowly, grabbing tightly onto her hips, trying gain her bearings.

"I may have made some _adjustments_…" Regina revealed in a breathy moan.

As Emma started to get used to the new sensation, she began speeding up her thrusts. Regina reached back with one arm, yanking at Emma's waist, grasping desperately for any leverage to force the blonde even deeper into her.

"Harder, Emma!" Regina begged in what was almost a sob.

Emma obliged by thrusting into her as hard as she could, rapidly beginning to feel Regina tighten around her, bringing the blonde closer to her own release. Emma reached her hand around Regina to provide a few last swirls across her clit, sending her over the edge. As Regina came hard and Emma felt each wave clenching around the strap-on, hurtling her into her own mind-blowing orgasm.

Emma slumped over onto Regina's back, panting heavily from the exertion. She planted tender kisses along Regina's back and neck while holding her close.

After Regina caught her breath she flicked her hand again in the air, returning the strap-on to wherever it was that she conjured it from. Emma rolled off of Regina, onto her back, still trying to catch her breath.

"That was…awesome." Emma stammered as Regina joined her, throwing a leg and arm over her body and snuggling close, planting kisses on Emma's sweat coated neck.

"I told you there were things you didn't know about me, dear." Regina replied, pulling the covers over them.

"And here I thought you were just being coy. When we were joking about how much wood you needed earlier, I had no idea that _this _would be the way we would end our night." Emma said with a laugh, turning to give Regina a chaste kiss.

Regina laughed with her. "And I had no idea how badly you wanted to give it to me."

As they settled into each other's arms, there was a brief pause of silence between them, as neither of them really wanted to admit what they both felt. Perhaps due to some post-coital haze that diminished her inhibitions, Emma succumbed first.

"Why the hell didn't we just do this a year ago? she asked, letting out a long drawn sigh.

"I don't know, dear." Regina replied in a whisper.

Lying there in each other's arms, neither of them really could remember what they had found so unappealing about the other in the first place. It all seemed so silly now that they were faced with the possibility of only having a few days left together. They both held each other close, trying to momentarily forget their fears.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you everyone for all of the positive reviews. I can't believe this fic already broke 100 followers! I appreciate the continued enthusiasm and support, and as always, please continue to leave feedback. **

**I hope you enjoy this update. My next one may take me a little longer as I have a busy week ahead of me, but I will do my best to be prompt. **

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><p>Emma woke abruptly to the ear-splitting sound of Regina's alarm clock. Thankfully, Regina was quick to react, smacking the snooze button into submission with her hand.<p>

Emma groaned loudly at the prospect of having to get out of bed. She buried her face in Regina's hair, squeezing the brunette tighter by the arm she had around her waist.

Apparently they had shifted to spooning at some point during the night, but Regina didn't mind as much as she thought she would. She'd heard about this 'spooning' and always thought it sounded bizarrely uncomfortable and way too intimate. Now she realized the appeal as the blonde held her in a warm and comforting embrace. If she didn't know any better, she would think they were perfectly molded to fit each other.

"Please tell me that you're one of those OCD people who set alarms way before they actually have to get up." Emma whined.

"Unfortunately not dear, it's 7:00am and we have to get you and Henry out of the house by 8:00am for work and school." Regina answered, lightly rubbing Emma's arm, trying to ease her awake.

The blonde groaned again in response.

"Your really aren't a morning person, are you?" Regina asked rhetorically, turning to face Emma.

"Nope. Especially when I have a hot piece of ass like you in bed with me, Madame Mayor." Emma replied with a grin, earning her a jab to the ribs.

"Oww, jeez." Emma exclaimed, rubbing at the sore spot.

"Oh, it couldn't have hurt that much." Regina said, rolling her eyes, and kissing Emma softly on the lips.

"I got a kiss out of it though, didn't I?" Emma responded with a wink.

"Well played, Miss Swan." Regina conceded, giving her another kiss and slipping out of bed into a robe. "I'm going to change into something more decent and then I'll head downstairs to put some coffee on and tend to our son. Why don't you take a shower? I'm sure that will wake you right up." Regina suggested, disappearing into her closet to get changed.

Emma groaned as she stretched her limbs. Normally she didn't mind dragging herself to the station in the morning, but that was back when she slept alone on a tiny uncomfortable twin bed and had no good reason to hang around and sleep in. It was strange having woken up with Regina in her arms two mornings in a row, but she felt as though she could easily grow accustomed to it. Regina was right though, she had to drag her ass out of bed and get to work on time, as she asked Ruby to meet her there bright and early.

Rolling out of the bed with a loud sigh, she shuffled her way over to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

><p>After Emma had taken her shower and wandered back to the guest room to get dressed, she made her way downstairs, following the heavenly scent of brewing coffee.<p>

"Good morning, Miss Swan. You slept well, I hope?" Regina greeted her neutrally. Emma took this return to formality as an obvious attempt to conceal the fact that they slept in the same bed last night from their son.

"Yeah, like a baby, that bed in the _guest_ room sure is comfy." Emma replied with a grin, attempting to playfully torment the brunette.

"I knew you'd like it here, Emma." Henry said with a big smile, already finished with his breakfast.

Regina placed a steaming hot mug of coffee in front of Emma, who already made herself comfortable on what she was already starting to consider _her _stool.

"Why don't you go upstairs and get ready for school while Emma and I finish our coffee, okay dear?" Regina suggested to Henry, ushering him out of the kitchen while she returned to tending to his dishes.

Emma could sense that something was a little off with Regina, and figured it was because she wasn't going to be around today. "Are you sure you're going to be okay at home alone without me? I know you're all magically badass and everything but I won't go if you need me."

"I'll be alright. No one has tried anything foolish yet, so I'm beginning to think we're in the clear." Regina responded evenly, but Emma didn't fail to see how the brunette's hands were death gripping the edge of the sink as she spoke.

Emma walked up behind Regina, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. "I know that you're saying you're fine, Regina, but I don't buy it. I know you better than you think."

Regina sighed heavily. "It doesn't matter whether I'm okay with it or not, Emma. You and Henry need to continue on with your lives."

Emma squeezed her tightly. "Don't talk like that. Don't talk like you're already gone." Emma felt her heart constrict in her chest at the thought of losing the brunette. What was happening to her? Why was she feeling this way? Her every instinct told her that she shouldn't need Regina like this every fiber of her being felt otherwise. She was so used to only caring for herself, but she felt compelled to comfort Regina – to protect her from anything that threatened her emotional or physical harm.

Regina pulled herself from Emma's grasp and walked a few paces from her. She took a deep breath before turning back around and folding her arms tightly against her chest. "I think it's about time we face reality, dear. We've been foolish in pretending like this isn't all going to end in a few days."

A pained pair of tear glossed hazel eyes met her own. "This isn't you, Regina. We promised that we wouldn't give up. Henry wouldn't want you to give up. If you won't fight for me, fight for him, damn it!" Emma pleaded, with tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

Regina averted her gaze from Emma. "We should never have engaged in – this affair of ours. Nothing good can come of it. It will only cause you and Henry pain."

Emma walked over to Regina placing a gentle hand on her folded arms in an attempt to comfort her. "Regina…"

When Regina refused to look at her, Emma grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly, forcing her to meet her gaze. "I don't understand, you were fine like a half hour ago, what happened to change you like this? Talk to me."

Regina began to panic as her mother's words repeated through her head like a broken record. _Love is weakness_. Her mother was right, she was always right. The love she allowed herself to have for Daniel and for young Snow had only betrayed her and left her with nothing but pain and anger. She felt foolish for letting her heart betray her into loving again with Henry and whatever she had developing with Emma.

Regina smacked Emma's hands off of her shoulders and pushed her away causing her to stumble. "I'm not strong enough, Emma!" she yelled, choking back a sob.

Despite Regina's aggression, Emma's resolve hadn't diminished. She stepped back towards Regina again, this time pulling her into a tight embrace. "You don't have to be strong enough, Regina - you have me. You're not alone anymore. I can be strong enough for you. We can be strong enough together."

Regina lost all control of her emotions as she collapsed into Emma's strong arms with racking sobs. Emma just held her, gently running her fingers through her hair and whispering softly in her ear. "It's okay, Regina. Everything will be okay, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe with me."

After what felt like an eternity, Regina finally stilled and quieted in Emma's arms. Against her instincts, Regina felt safe being held by the blonde, with her face buried in that horrible red leather jacket, the surface of which was now marred with streaks of her salty tears. Her heart was betraying her for Emma Swan and there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop it.

With Regina's breathing returned to almost normal, Emma pulled away from her slightly to kiss her on the forehead and wipe some of the stray tears from the brunette's now puffy, but still gorgeous face. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up before Henry sees you, okay?"

Regina let Emma guide her back upstairs to her bedroom and into the bathroom. She sat a virtually catatonic Regina down on the toilet and ran a washcloth under a cold stream of water from the sink. Wringing out most of the moisture, she the kneeled in front of Regina, gently running the dampened cloth across the brunette's face while cupping it with her other hand. Regina couldn't decide what was more soothing, the cool cloth or Emma's touch.

Emma sighed heavily as she took in the state of the brunette. Something had driven her to this breakdown, and she needed to know what it was. "What happened, Regina?" she asked her gently.

Regina exhaled deeply, trying to summon up the courage to express her fears to the blonde. "I don't do _this_ Emma." Regina explained, gesturing to the blonde and back to herself. "Anyone I ever cared about betrayed me or was taken from me. The thought of having to relive that pain again is too much to bear."

Emma knew the pain that Regina was speaking of all too well. She was abandoned by her parents and then betrayed by Neal, the only person she let herself care about. It was safer to be alone, but it really was no way to live. She realized that the night of her 28th birthday when she wished for something more than the solitary existence she had spent so many years carefully constructing for herself.

"I know that things haven't gone your way in the past, but things can be different with us. Things are complicated right now, but we'll sort them out. You don't have to be alone because you're scared. No one deserves to be alone, Regina."

Regina sighed as Emma pulled away briefly to rinse the washcloth again and returned to dabbing her face gently. "I don't know what you expect of me, dear."

Emma put the washcloth down on the floor and took the hands that were tensely clasped in Regina's lap into hers. Emma gave the hands a squeeze and looked back up at Regina, locking their gaze. "I just want you to stay with me. Don't push me away again. Trust that I will protect you, and just let whatever we have together just…happen."

"That's asking quite a lot." Regina replied, not completely convinced.

"Maybe…but that's just because nothing good comes without risks." Emma said with a shrug.

"I never thought I'd say this, but you have quite a way with words, Miss Swan." Regina admitted, squeezing out a reluctant smile for the blonde.

Emma's demeanor immediately brightened at the sight. "So does that mean you'll give this a chance?" she asked hopefully.

"I suppose that your '_Charming_' sense of optimism may have won me over." she teased, leaning in capturing Emma's lips in an affectionate kiss.

"And you'll be alright here by yourself?" Emma asked, her brow furrowing with concern.

"Yes, dear."

"And you promise you'll call if you need me?"

"Yes, dear."

"You sure you don't want me to stay?"

"_Emma_!" Regina snapped.

"Sorry…" Emma apologized, biting down on her lower lip and averting her gaze.

Regina took Emma's chin between two fingers, lifting it up to look into the blonde's eyes.

"There's no need to be sorry, Emma…but it is getting late and Henry will be ready to leave for school any moment now. I packed you both a lunch, so please don't forget to grab them from the fridge on your way out." she said, giving Emma one last soft kiss on the lips and shoving her gently towards the door.

"You packed me a lunch?" Emma asked with genuine surprise as she was being hurried out of the bathroom towards the bedroom door.

"Of course. You don't think I'd let you eat those artery-clogging chili fries at Granny's every day for lunch, did you?" Regina replied, her face scrunching with disgust at the thought of all the grease that went into the food at Granny's.

"I guess not?" Emma answered uncertainly, as she wasn't used to anyone truly worrying about what she bothered to eat. Her response earned her a glare from Regina.

Cocking her head to the side, Emma returned the glare with a smirk. "_Thank you_ Regina, it was really sweet of you to pack me a lunch."

Regina pulled her in for one last kiss, tugging Emma against her by her leather jacket.

"I'll see you after work, _dear_." Emma said, winking at Regina before disappearing through the bedroom door and closing it behind her.

* * *

><p>After dropping Henry off at school, Emma arrived at work a whopping 10 minutes early. She was never early as there wasn't really any reason to rush to get to work on time only to be greeted by an empty office and a pile of paperwork. Today, however, she was greeted by Ruby, who was already making herself at home at the deputy's desk. Emma observed her rifling through the drawers while kicked back in the chair with her feet resting on the top of the desk.<p>

Ruby nearly fell out of the chair when Emma cleared her throat loudly, alerting her of her presence.

"Oh, Hey Emma!" she greeted with an awkward wave, jumping up from the chair.

"Hey Rubes, you're here early." Emma replied, trying to stifle a laugh while walking over to her office and hanging up her leather jacket on the coat rack and placing the lunch Regina packed her down on her desk.

"Well, you said bright and early…so…here I am!" Ruby answered with her signature toothy grin accented by bright red lips. Even though her memories of her past life as Red were now restored, she still clung to much of what made her Ruby.

"Right." Emma answered looking hopelessly at the paperwork that went untouched in her recent absence. She turned to pull open the second drawer down in her desk, revealing the deputy's badge. Picking it up from its place in the drawer, she took a moment to run her thumb over the contours of the brass, appreciating the weight of the badge in her hand. It felt just as heavy as the day Graham had handed it to her when he asked her to be his deputy. There was so much about that day she couldn't forget. It was the day she accepted her responsibility as a mother and stayed in Storybrooke to watch over Henry. It was also the day that recognized her attraction to Regina at the mine. So much had changed for her the day she clipped that badge onto her belt. She wondered if it would have the same effect on Ruby.

Emma walked over to Ruby and handed her the badge. "Welcome aboard, Deputy Lucas." Emma said, exchanging a smile with Ruby and shaking her hand ceremoniously.

"So what now, boss?" Ruby asked, arching an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Well right now is about the time we make the coffee, push some papers around, and wait for the phone to ring." Emma explained with a chuckle, walking over to fix the coffee.

Ruby perched herself on the edge of her new desk, eyeing Emma curiously. She looked awfully at ease for someone she had seen come home drunk and upset just two days prior. With her curiosity piqued, she decided to probe her friend gently for information.

"How is everything going at Regina's?"

Emma's hand twitched almost imperceptibly at the question as she poured the water into the machine. However subtle the movement was, Ruby didn't fail to pick up on it. Emma hadn't really prepared herself for having to tell anyone else about what was happening between her and Regina. They hadn't even figured it out themselves.

"Uh, things are as good as they can be I guess." she said with a shrug, trying to reveal as little as possible without lying.

Her friend's tight-lipped answer had Ruby itching to know more. "And how good would that be?" she asked, casually re-crossing her legs.

Emma scratched at the back of her head awkwardly as she turned to face Ruby, leaning against the counter while the coffee began to brew. "Well…she isn't as horrible as she was before. She's actually being kinda nice. I mean, we fight still…but it's not as bad."

"Regina…nice? I've known Regina for a long time and I don't think she's been nice to anyone but Henry." Ruby scoffed.

Emma let out a long breath, trying to choose her next words carefully. "I don't think she's the awful person everyone thinks she is. She just doesn't like to show everyone that because she's scared of being seen as weak."

"Look at you, one weekend with her and you're the expert, huh?" Ruby teased.

Emma slumped down into the desk chair beside Ruby and propped both elbows up on the desk, burying her face in her hands.

"I don't know, Rubes. After the curse broke and I found out about everything…nothing is anything like what I thought it was or what I thought it could be. I've been forced to re-evaluate my entire life."

Emma leaned back in the chair, pinching at the bridge of her nose trying to stave off the migraine headache that was encroaching on her brain. She really didn't know what she was going to do about the gigantic fucking mess that was her life. Emma wasn't one for plans – present or future. As a person who lived day to day, bond to bond, she never really put much stock in anything. Having to actually work at something – to stick around long enough – this was all completely unfamiliar territory for her and it scared the crap out of her.

"Wow, I was just kidding with you Em, I didn't know you were gonna get all deep on me." Ruby said, covering Emma's shoulder with her hand and squeezing it sympathetically.

Emma blew out a long puff of air. "I know Rubes, it's just that there's so much going on with my parents and Regina and the council. It's all just really overwhelming."

"Are things any better with your parents? I know the other day didn't go so well."

Emma shook her head. "Things are still difficult. I don't really know how to act around them. They're literally different people to me. It also doesn't make things any easier that they're hell bent on punishing Regina. How am I supposed to let them? She's Henry's mom."

Ruby cocked her head sympathetically at the blonde, pressing her lips together.

"It's totally normal for you to need some time to adjust to suddenly having parents, especially under such _unusual_ circumstances. I think they get that, Em. As far as Regina goes, I don't think anyone would have the heart to go through with anything so drastic. I also know your mom, and other than you, she's my closest friend. I don't think she'll let anything happen to Regina."

The coffee pot beeped, signaling that it had finished brewing. Emma dragged herself over to pour the two of them each a steaming hot cup. Emma took a sip of hers and handed the other cup to Ruby.

"I hope you're right. I think if this thing with Regina just blows over that we can focus on trying to get to know each other, I guess. I just don't want them to think I hate them. I don't hate them, I'm just angry and…it's complicated."

"They know that. I'm sure of it. Everything will be okay in time." Ruby said, smiling warmly at Emma.

Their momentary connection was disrupted suddenly by the loud ringing of the office phone, causing both women to jump.

Emma nodded in the direction of the phone receiver sitting on Ruby's desk. "First call is all yours, Deputy Lucas." she said with a wink and a grin.

Ruby hurried over excitedly to answer the phone. "Sherriff's station, Deputy Lucas speaking, how can I help you?"

Emma observed her new deputy as she listened to the caller on the other end of the line. The wide grin that Ruby had been wearing moments ago slowly faded from her face, morphing into a look of apprehension. It was then that Ruby darted a glance up to Emma who's heart plummeted to her stomach when she realized that something must have been terribly wrong.

"We'll be right over." Ruby said, slamming the phone back down on the receiver.

"What is it? Emma asked, fearful of the answer she was about to receive.

Ruby hesitated momentarily, not really knowing how to best explain this to Emma.

"We've got a _serious_ problem."


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you all so much for the enthusiastic reviews. Your continued support for this story makes it much easier to write! **

**I am still a little bit busy these days but I will continue to try and get you frequent updates while still maintaining what I consider to be a quality product.**

**Please continue to post reviews as I love to hear your thoughts as a reader. Hope you enjoy this update!**

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><p>Ruby watched as Emma's expression grew from concerned to panic-stricken.<p>

"What is it?! Is it Regina? Or Henry?" Emma questioned Ruby frantically.

Ruby shook her head at her. "No, Emma. Nothing like that, it's – "

"Jesus fucking christ, Rubes! You couldn't have led with that?!" Emma cut her off, completely furious with her.

Ruby snatched her jacket from her desk chair and quickly slung it over her shoulders. "Well if you can just let me finish, I'll explain everything! We don't have much time."

Ruby waited a moment for Emma's silent acknowledgement that she would let her continue without interruption. It did not escape the brunette's notice, however, that the blonde was wound so tight that she may snap at any moment.

"That was Leroy. They've spotted an ogre in Storybrooke. They need us to go help. _Now_." Ruby explained hurriedly.

"What do you mean, an _ogre_? How is that even possible?" Emma questioned her skeptically while Ruby ran to Emma's office to grab the blonde's coat. Emma had shown no signs of comprehending the level of urgency, so Ruby took matters into her own hands.

The brunette shoved the leather jacket into Emma's hands and began dragging her by the arm out of the station.

"I don't know, but we have to go help, before someone gets hurt."

Ruby tossed Emma the car keys and they both jumped into the cruiser.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked as she turned the key in the ignition.

"The school." Ruby replied, trying not to meet Emma's gaze.

Emma's heart sank. She now realized why Ruby had been so hesitant about explaining the situation to her. _Henry_.

"I have to call Regina." Emma said as she peeled out of the parking lot and started speeding in the direction of the school.

Emma yanked her phone from her pocket and pinned it between her shoulder and her ear, as she needed both arms to maneuver at this speed.

After only one ring, the phone picked up.

_"Emma? Is everything alright?"_ Regina inquired with concern, as she hadn't expected a call from the blonde.

"No. There's an ogre and I need your help. I need you to head to Henry's school as fast as you can, okay?"

"_An ogre? What are you talking about?_" Regina asked, utterly confused.

"I don't know, but somehow one ended up in Storybrooke. Henry may be in danger. I'm headed there now. I need your help. Please come."

"_I'll be there right away_." Regina responded, and then Emma heard nothing but dead air.

She dropped the phone into the center cup holder and rounded the corner to the school. As they turned the corner Emma could see the ogre ripping through parts of the building and flipping cars in its rage. Most everyone had cleared the area except the dwarves. When Emma pulled the cruiser to an abrupt stop and hopped out with Ruby, Leroy ran over to them.

"None of us are equipped to stop it as we don't have the right weapons here. We've been trying to keep him distracted, but I don't think we can for much longer." Leroy explained rapidly through gasps of breath.

"Go find Henry! Make sure he's okay." Emma ordered, taking off into a sprint towards the ogre.

"Emma!" Ruby yelled after her, realizing quickly that the blonde was just going to continue off on her own against all reason.

Ruby turned to Leroy. "Do as she says, and hurry."

Ruby chased after Emma and Leroy started running as swiftly as he could into the school to locate Henry.

Emma skidded to a halt within striking distance of the ogre, which was currently tearing through a nearby storefront. Emma drew her handgun and pointed it at the ogre.

"Hey! Over here, you ugly bastard!" she shouted, trying to get the creature's attention while waving her arms in the air.

Emma fired a couple of shots off at the ogre who failed to take any notice that two bullets had torn through its chest.

Emma's eyes widened as she observed the lack of damage that the bullets inflicted, frozen helplessly as the ogre swiped her up from the ground and into its grasp.

"Emma!" Ruby shouted after her, unable to reach the blonde in time to prevent her capture. It wasn't wolf's time, so she was powerless to stop the ogre without conventional weaponry.

The ogre growled and squeezed Emma tightly, causing her to scream out in pain. Ruby could practically hear Emma's bones crunching from the strain.

A cloud of purple smoke appeared in front of Ruby, dissipating to reveal a panic-stricken Regina. She spun around to see what Ruby had been gawking at, revealing the sight of Emma having the life squeezed out of her by the ogre.

"No!_ Emma_!" she screamed, conjuring a fireball within her hand and hurtling it at the ogre's head.

The ogre recoiled from the burst of the impact, causing it to stagger back and temporarily loosen its grip on Emma.

"Regina - stay back!" Emma yelled while choking for breath when she caught sight of the brunette.

Regina only saw red as she rapidly sent fireballs straight at the ogre's head and arms, careful to avoid striking Emma. Stunned from the barrage of attacks, the ogre dropped Emma abruptly and she collapsed into a heap on the pavement. Regina uprooted several fence posts with a flick of her wrist and then sent them hurtling towards the ogre who was violently impaled by each of the posts. The ogre finally collapsed, crushing a parked car and sending a tremor through the entire town with the impact.

Regina ran over to Emma, who was doubled over and trying to pull herself off the ground. Emma clutched her side as she stood, but overall it seemed that she was mostly unharmed. Regina pulled the blonde into her arms and unfortunately squeezed a bit too hard, causing Emma to wince slightly from the pain.

"Why didn't you wait for me?!" Regina asked, choking back a sob while fighting back obvious tears and pulling herself away from Emma to assess her condition. She suspected that the blonde may have cracked a rib by the way that she was favoring her side. Regina was thankful that she hadn't injured herself mortally, but that didn't stop her from being furious with Emma's actions.

"Regina…I –" Emma said gently while reaching out towards Regina.

The brunette swatted her arm away in anger.

"You could have been killed, you idiot! Why would you risk your life like that?" Regina questioned her, obviously distraught. She was incensed that Emma would do something so careless. The blonde forced herself into her life, causing her to feel things that she didn't want to feel, and then she was going to just leave her like that? The selfishness of the Emma's actions was beyond infuriating.

"I don't know! All I could think of was Henry and I just - reacted!" Emma shouted back at her.

Before Regina could antagonize Emma further for her actions, Mary Margaret came bursting through the doors of the school with Henry and Leroy in tow. After catching the sight of a visibly disheveled Emma, Mary Margaret ran over and pulled her into another uncomfortable one-sided hug.

As much as it was nice and all that everyone cared so much about her well being, Emma could really use a little less squeezing after she had nearly been crushed to death by an ogre.

"Emma, what happened?" she asked, raising a hand to her cheek, only for Emma to pull away from her mother's touch. Emma was still all too uncomfortable with the idea of this woman being her mother that she couldn't bear the physical contact right now. For so many years she desired the warmth and comfort of a mother, but right now the thought of it made her skin crawl.

Mary Margaret was deeply hurt by being brushed off so coldly by her daughter and took a few steps back, folding her arms across her chest.

"Your daughter foolishly tried to take on an ogre by herself." Regina snapped at Mary Margaret.

Regina turned back to Emma and reached out to gently palm her ribcage where she suspected there may be an injury. It was not lost on Mary Margaret how the blonde readily accepted and even sought out Regina's touch, but wanted nothing to do with her own. It made her angry, and a little jealous even. What right did Regina have to her daughter when she was the one who separated them in the first place, causing this rift between them?

"You may have broken a rib, you should really allow me to have a look." Regina explained as she ran her fingertips lightly over the area.

Emma squeezed out a reassuring smile, thankful that Regina had calmed down a bit.

"I'm sure it's just a bruise, really." she said, taking a deep breath and covering Regina's hand with hers.

"Are you sure you're okay, Emma?" Henry asked worriedly, approaching his birth mother with caution.

Regina immediately dropped her hand and stuffed it awkwardly into her coat pocket, realizing that they both had gotten lost in an overly intimate moment together. She took a small step back, fearing she imprudently revealed too much of her affections towards Emma to those around them.

Emma picked up on Regina's uneasiness and attempted to lead the conversation in a less awkward direction.

"Yeah kid, your mom saved me - she kicked that ogre's butt!" she answered with a grin pulling Henry against her side into a tight hug. She did feel a twinge of pain shoot through her rib, and was pretty sure that she fractured it, but she did everything she could to mask all outward signs of pain. The last thing she wanted was to upset Henry or Regina any further.

"Awesome, mom! You're like a real super hero!" Henry exclaimed after checking out the sheer size of the collapsed ogre across the street.

"Um, so…speaking of ogres…can anyone explain what the hell just happened?" Ruby asked after clearing her throat awkwardly.

"Well, an ogre could have only come from one place – the Enchanted Forest." Mary Margaret answered, eager to take the attention off of Regina and Emma.

The potential significance of the interaction she just witnessed did not escape her. It further cemented her suspicions about the two. However, this was obviously a subject that would require a lot more discussion and this wasn't the time, place or proper audience for that conversation. She was relieved that Emma was alive and relatively unharmed and that had to be enough for right now.

"That's impossible. The curse destroyed the Enchanted Forest when it brought us here." Regina explained in a condescending tone.

"How sure are you about that right now?" Emma interjected with obvious sarcasm, gesturing over to the dead ogre sprawled in the middle of the street.

Regina shot one of her best Evil Queen glares at Emma, but its effectiveness was starting to wane against the blonde.

"Then I think we need to pay Gold a visit. If anyone knows something about this it would be him." Regina suggested.

She didn't like the idea of having to confront Gold under these circumstances, but they weren't left with very many options.

"What if there are more of them?" Mary Margaret questioned worriedly, looking over at her daughter and grandson, concerned for their safety.

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers, trying to wrap her head around what the hell was going on. As the savior, everyone was going to be looking to her for the answers, and as usual, she had none – so she simply suggested the only think she could think of.

"Mary Margaret, why don't you take Ruby and go see Mother Superior while Regina and go talk to Gold. Between the two of them we should be able to figure out how the hell that thing got here and how to prevent it from happening again."

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to protest Emma and Regina going to see Gold alone, but she knew arguing wouldn't get her anywhere with her daughter. She didn't trust Regina, but the brunette had protected Emma against the ogre, so she supposed that her presence wouldn't pose Emma any immediate danger.

"Ruby and I will go see Mother Superior but please be careful honey – and call me as soon as you're finished."

Emma fought the urge to antagonize Mary Margaret for having the nerve to act like an overprotective mother. As much as she wanted to forgive her for everything that happened, and as much as she was starting to appreciate why she and David did what they did, the years of pain and loneliness still ate away at her, preventing her from letting go.

"I'll let you know what we find out." Emma replied neutrally and then directed her attention to Leroy.

"Leroy – do you think you can get a group together to check around and make sure everyone's alright?"

Leroy wasn't keen on the Evil Queen's presence or assistance, but remembering his promise to Mary Margaret, he agreed to help and this time offered no opinions on the matter.

"You got it, sister." he replied.

Emma nodded and turned back to Ruby and Mary Margaret. "Would you guys mind taking Henry with you? I don't want him _anywhere _near Gold."

Henry hated when adults talked about him like he wasn't there. If it weren't for him, Emma wouldn't have even broken the curse. They always underestimated him just because he was a kid.

"I'm right here, Emma! And I wanna go with you and Mom. I'm not just some stupid kid, I can help!" Henry protested angrily, pulling out of his birthmother's grasp.

Regina felt terribly about how Henry was always thrust into the middle of all of the chaos that seemed to follow her everywhere. Everything that Henry was going through was entirely her doing - and as much as she selfishly couldn't regret adopting Henry, she should have known better than to bring an innocent child into a cursed world. She let her weakness get the best of her and her loneliness cloud her judgment, just as her mother had expressly warned her against.

Regardless of the pangs of guilt that shot through her, Regina agreed that it wasn't wise to bring Henry with her and Emma to see Gold. He had already been exposed to way more than he should have been and it was her job to try and protect him from whatever she could.

"I know dear, but seeing Gold may be dangerous and I can't bear to see you get hurt. Please do as Emma says and go with Ruby and Mary Margaret."

Emma met Regina's gaze with a look of unspoken thanks. The blonde still didn't know how to deal with an 11 year old sometimes and Regina's support with regards to parenting Henry was greatly appreciated at times like this.

"_Fine_. I'll help Mary Margaret and Ruby then." Henry said with a huff, plodding his way over to the women.

Emma frowned and bent down to pick up her handgun that she dropped previously during her encounter with the ogre. She wiped the dirt off of it with her tank top and secured it back into her holster.

Just hours ago Emma found herself feeling that things could maybe return to some type of normalcy. She should have known such a thing is almost certainly impossible to achieve in a town full of fairytale characters and magic. At every turn she felt that she was failing as both a savior and a mother. Panic began to rush through her and the sudden urge to run almost overtook her. It was then that her eyes met Regina's and she began to feel grounded again. Everything in her brain told her to flee from the responsibility and the danger but something in her heart kept tugging back at her, keeping her here in Storybrooke.

"Okay. Let's go." Emma said, never taking her eyes off of Regina.

* * *

><p>It only took them minutes to reach Gold's shop as Emma blew through every intersection with lights and sirens, totally disregarding traffic regulations. Emma slammed the car into park and removed the keys from the ignition. She unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to get out of the car when a hand reached over to stop her.<p>

"Let _me_ do the talking. I know how Gold operates, and I do not want him to trick you into making any deals with him, is that understood?" Regina said sternly.

Gold was a businessman through and through, always looking to make the right deal to further his agenda. Deals with Gold always came at a great price, and he never let anyone back out without payment.

Emma rolled her eyes at the brunette. "I'm not that stupid Regina, give me some credit. We'll work this together or you're not going in there with me. Got it?"

Regina sighed and let go of Emma's arm. "Fine – but please do your best to trust my instincts. I know Gold better than anyone else in this town. Don't let him get under your skin."

Emma recalled everything that Regina had shared with her about Gold. She was on edge and her patience was running thin, but realized that Regina was right and that Gold was a master manipulator and she should tread lightly. If anyone knew what he was capable of, it would be Regina as she suffered the most at his hand.

"Okay. Come on." Emma agreed, exiting the vehicle with Regina following closely behind her as they entered Gold's shop. The sound of the bell alerts Gold of their presence and appears immediately from the back room.

"I was expecting to see Miss Swan here much sooner – but _you_ dearie – I didn't anticipate having the pleasure of seeing you _alive_." Gold greeted them, cocking an eyebrow and sneering straight at Regina, in an obvious attempt to push her buttons.

Emma stepped protectively in front of Regina and bit back curtly. "We didn't come to play games, Gold. Regina just killed a goddamn _ogre _and something tells me you know exactlyhow it got to Storybrooke."

Gold scrutinized the blonde's defensive actions towards Regina and replied through a grin. "The Savior protecting the Evil Queen – what an unexpected turn of events."

Gold always preferred to deflect questions rather than to answer them.

"We're not here to make deals or play games. I know that you know something about what happened, so I suggest you tell us." Regina interjected.

"And why should I help _you_, Regina?" Gold said, leaning both hands on the counter in front of him as he spoke.

Regina recalled the last conversation she had with Gold in this very spot, before Emma had broken the curse. Gold had refused to help her get rid of Emma, claiming Regina had nothing left that he wanted in exchange for his assistance. However, it had become clear that what he intended all along was for the curse to be broken.

Before Regina could answer, Emma took a couple of steps forward, planting both hands firmly on the counter across from Gold.

"Because I'm willing to temporarily overlook the fact that you risked Henry's life by double crossing us _and_ tried to murder Regina by marking her for the wraith - _if_ - you help us." Emma threatened.

"Really, dearie?" Gold responded with a smirk, making his way around the counter to face Emma. "What makes you think you could actually follow through on such a ridiculous threat? It's not in the nature of the savior – the product of true love and all that is good - to commit an evil act." Gold taunted her further, testing her resolve.

Nothing made Emma's blood boil more than the insinuation that she was the physical embodiment of goodness. She's been a screw-up her whole life, and has done some pretty terrible things just to get by. It's unfair of everyone to hold her to such an unreasonable standard – one that set her up for inevitable failure. This good person, at the core, she knew it wasn't her.

Emma grabbed Gold by the front of his coat and smashed his back into the edge of the counter.

"I don't think you know me as well as you think you do, Gold. I didn't grow up with Snow White and Prince Charming in the Enchanted Forest where everything is either black and white. I grew up in _this_ world, one where the line between black and white is thick and gray. I have and I _will _do whatever it takes to protect the people I care about." Emma growled at Gold through clenched teeth.

Gold chuckled at the blonde's aggressiveness. "You certainly have inherited your father's temper, Miss Swan."

Regina could tell that this conversation was moving quickly in a dangerous direction. Although Emma had softened up towards her over the last few days, she didn't forget how erratic the blonde's emotions had been towards everyone else. It was time to take back control of the conversation.

"Enough games, Gold. Just tell us what you know about what's going on and we'll leave you is to…whatever it is that you do." Regina said in a mocking tone, gesturing around his shop.

"As you wish – Miss Swan?" Gold agreed, inclining his head, opening for Emma to release her grip on him and let him speak.

Emma shoved Gold slightly while releasing the fabric of his suit jacket from her balled fists. He attempted to smooth out the wrinkles and then addressed both women.

"I felt a shift in the magical presence in Storybrooke. Someone very powerful has crossed realms from the Enchanted Forest and it's likely that the ogre may have come upon the portal while it was still open and mistakenly gone through."

"How is that even possible? The curse was supposed have destroyed our land when it brought us all here." Regina snapped back.

"The curse simply transported all of us to this realm, nothing more." Gold explained.

Emma agreed to let Gold talk, but she was still extremely wound up and this conversation was going nowhere fast. She didn't give two shits if the Enchanted Forest still existed or not. They needed to know who crossed realms and why, and if they posed any threat to the people in Storybrooke.

"Okay - so the Enchanted Forest still exists – _fine_. Who the hell would want to come to Storybrooke? And why?" Emma asked with distinct agitation to her voice.

"Regina made many enemies during her reign as the Evil Queen. Any number of those left behind during the curse may have cause to seek vengeance against her." Gold revealed while leaning on his cane and jabbing a finger in Regina's direction.

Emma groaned, shifting her weight to her other leg and running a hand through her hair. "Are you fucking serious? I thought _everyone_ was transported here with the curse."

"Everyone that Regina _thought_ she neededto curse is here." Gold explained, revealing the obvious flaw in their understanding of the curse.

Regina knew that Gold was taunting them by withholding pertinent information. He only ever revealed what he felt needed to be known at any given time, and they didn't have the time to spare to stand here arguing with him all day.

"I've had enough of your riddles! You planned all of this, didn't you? That's why you won't reveal the identity of your co-conspirator." Regina snapped.

Gold moved deliberately towards Regina, with the clack of his cane echoing with each step.

"I would be consider being more careful before making accusations, _dearie_. I don't think you can afford to make any more enemies in this town, do you?" he said with a sneer.

Regina glared back at Gold as his words hung heavily in the air. The imp was right – she really couldn't afford any more enemies or to burn any more bridges. Even if Gold had his own agenda, other than Emma, he was the only other person in this town who could be considered anything remotely close to an ally. He may be involved in whatever is going on in Storybrooke, but isolating their only source of information would be too risky for them to gamble on.

"Now, if you two will excuse me, I have my own business to attend to." Gold said with a satisfied smirk.

As Gold turned away from them, Emma grabbed him and slammed him back against the wooden counter.

"I'm done with your bullshit, Gold. I'm going to ask you one last time - who came here to hurt Regina?!" Emma snarled as she pulled her gun out and rested the barrel against his forehead while cocking back the trigger.

"Emma, stop!" Regina shouted, breaking the blonde briefly from her fury. Emma's hold on Gold temporarily loosened when her eyes met Regina's.

"As much as I want to kill this worthless imp myself, it will not do us any good." Regina explained to Emma in a soft low voice, attempting to calm her.

Before Emma could respond, Gold laughed maniacally while observing the interaction between the two women. "This really is quite an unexpected development."

"How's that?" Emma asked, forcing his back further into the edge of the counter and digging the cold steel of the barrel of her handgun deeper into his forehead.

Gold turned to Regina and addressed her in a cutting tone. "Do you honestly think anyone could possibly care for you after everything that you've done?"

Regina scowled at Gold in an attempt to mask the pain that his words caused her. He had always known exactly how to exploit her vulnerability. Her need for love and acceptance had made it easy for him to manipulate her into doing his bidding. It hadn't taken him long to pick up on the change in dynamic between the two women and he was sure to find a way to monopolize on it.

The longer they talked to Gold, the more ammo they gave him to use against them, and it was clear that he was done providing them with useful information.

"Emma, let this worthless imp go. He's told us everything that he wishes to divulge to us. We can figure the rest out on our own." Regina urged her, tugging her by the arm away from Gold.

Emma resisted momentarily by leaning in towards Gold. Their faces were mere inch apart and Gold could feel Emma's hot breath on his face as she spoke.

"Once we deal with this mess, you and I have more to discuss - so don't think about going anywhere." she threatened, releasing Gold from her grip and returning her handgun to its holster.

Gold grinned at Emma, reveling in her anger towards him. "Say hello to your dear mother and father for me, will you Miss Swan?"

Emma lunged angrily in response towards Gold but Regina pulled her back again with a forceful jerk to her arm.

"_Let's go_, Emma." Regina insisted, and they both left the shop without another word - the only sound being the bell against the door, as it slammed shut behind them.

* * *

><p>Both women could be seen bickering with each other on the sidewalk outside of Gold's pawnshop.<p>

Across the street on a nearby rooftop two people were observing the altercation.

"This wasn't quite the scenario you were expecting, I take it." Hook said as he observed the two women who had moved on from arguing to kissing.

He collapsed his spyglass and turned to the woman beside him.

"No, but perhaps my daughter's fondness for this woman will make what we've come to do much easier than I originally anticipated." Cora said with a smirk.

"And then what of the crocodile? You promised me my vengeance in return for my assistance in getting you to this realm." Hook persisted.

"Did you forget how my daughter dispensed the ogre that slipped through the portal due to _your_ sloppiness? There is magic here, which means that the dark one also has his magic. We will need to play this carefully, especially now that we have lost the element of surprise."

Hook sighed and stowed the spyglass away in his pocket. Unfortunately, Cora had a point. He needed her in order to get to the crocodile, which means he'd have to play along as long as she wanted.

"So what now, your Majesty?" he inquired as they watched the two women get into the police cruiser and begin down the road.

"First, we learn everything we can about that woman and the boy. Then I'll be able to determine our next move."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you all for the supportive feedback! I can't tell you how thrilled I am that you are enjoying this tale.**

**I apologize for the slight delay on this. Previously I was updating about once a week, this one is two weeks. Unfortunately, work and life has me tied up and I'd rather take a bit longer rather than provide you with a rushed product.**

**As always, I hope you enjoy and please review, I love hearing from you all!**

* * *

><p>"You should have let me rough him up a bit more, Regina. He would have talked." Emma growled as she tore her arm away from Regina's grasp.<p>

Regina rolled her eyes at the blonde.

"You're a idiot if you think that Gold would have told you everything you wanted to know. You must be forgetting that he is the man who artfully manipulated the lives of several people to bring us all here to this point – including you. That man doesn't do _anything _unless it serves his agenda."

Emma knew that Regina was right, but short of going back in there and beating the crap out of Gold, she was shit out of ideas.

"Well what do you suggest we do then?" Emma snapped back, kicking at the tire of the cruiser angrily with her boot.

Regina let out a long breath and pressed her lips together, knowing that her next words would only frustrate the blonde further. She involuntarily flexed her hands at her sides as she often did when she was upset.

"You need take Henry and you both have to stay far away from me. You heard Gold…whoever crossed realms is likely here for me and I won't let you get hurt again because of your foolish promise to protect me. We can't keep fighting fate, Emma – everything bad I've done – I have to pay."

Emma stomped irately towards Regina, closing the gap between them.

"Stop it, Regina. Just because we've been dealt a crap hand, doesn't mean that we give up. You promised me today that you had faith in me – that you'd trust in me and trust us. We're a family now, and neither Henry nor I would let anything happen to you just because it would be the most convenient solution to a problem."

Regina's expression softened at the sentiment, despite the rising level of Emma's rage. She reached up to cup the blonde's face in her hand, feeling her immediately relax underneath her touch.

"You are insufferable, Miss Swan." she said, shaking her head and forcing a smile despite the obvious tears forming in her eyes.

"Well get used to it." Emma grumbled assertively as she lurched forward, capturing Regina's lips in a needy kiss and pulling the brunette tightly against her.

As much as Regina struggled against her feelings for Emma and tried to push herself away, the blonde kept pulling her back both physically and emotionally. Emma oozed confidence and optimism and despite her well-trained skepticism, Regina was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. There were moments just like this where Emma made her feel that she may have another chance at happiness.

"As much as I'd love to continue our public display, we need to go get our son and tell your mother what we've learned." Regina said when they finally broke from their kiss.

Emma sighed and released Regina from the tight grasp she had around her waist.

"Okay. We'll figure something out. I promise." Emma reassured her as she pulled the cruiser keys from her pocket and opened the passenger door for Regina to get in.

"Thank you, dear." Regina inclined her head at Emma and brushed intentionally close to her as she slipped passed the blonde into the passenger's seat.

Emma let out a puff of air, trying to control the obvious sexual tension lingering between them and focus on the task at hand. She shut the passenger door and made her way around the cruiser and settled into the driver's seat.

She knew that they needed to figure out something fast. Emma sighed, turned the key in the ignition and gave Regina a forced smile before pulling away from the curb to meet up with Mary Margaret and Ruby.

* * *

><p>As they made their way across town, Emma called Mary Margaret to inform her that Gold had revealed at least some information about what had happened. Mother Superior apparently hadn't been as helpful, but she did confirm the presence of something strongly magical in Storybrooke that wasn't there originally.<p>

Emma and Regina agreed to meet them at the town hall for an emergency assembly of the council. Emma wasn't thrilled about the prospect of the council meeting as she thought she would have some more time to figure out how to plead Regina's case. The fact that someone dangerous may be here in Storybrooke _because_ of Regina – that could complicate matters greatly.

"Are you up for this?" Emma asked Regina as she ended the call and returned her cell phone to her jacket pocket.

"You and I both know that my feelings regarding this council meeting are irrelevant. It's happening whether I want it to or not." Regina replied curtly. The bite in her tone was a clear indicator to Emma that Regina was terrified.

Regina couldn't escape the feeling that deep down they would probably all be better off if she wasn't around. She began to wonder if love was anything she would be able to have without the risk of great pain to herself or those that she loved. Maybe she was born to be the Evil Queen, just as Emma was born to be the Savior - and neither could escape their fate.

"I have a say in this, remember? Totally going to use the Savior card to my advantage." Emma said with a wink, trying to lighten the situation while reassuring Regina.

Regina simply sighed in response, and turned to look out the car window, watching the buildings of the town she built whoosh by as they approached their destination.

Regina was afraid to look back at Emma because if she met her eyes, she knew she would almost certainly fall apart. She took the last few minutes of the silent car ride to compose herself for what was bound to at best an unpleasant experience.

* * *

><p>"Promise me you won't kill each other." Emma begged Regina as they walked shoulder to shoulder down the sidewalk towards the Town Hall.<p>

"As much as I absolutely loathe the idea of being in the same room with your insipid mother, I can grasp that there are greater elements at play right now than my distaste towards her." Regina replied sarcastically, stuffing her balled hands into the pockets of her coat.

"Thank you." Emma said with a strong exhale of breath as she opened the door to the Town Hall, politely ushering Regina through first, holding the door for her.

They walked down the long hallway to the uncomfortable echoing sound of Regina's clacking heels and Emma's scuffing boots. They stopped briefly in front of the closed set of double doors that led into the room that Regina used to use for her Mayoral meetings, but was now commandeered by Emma's parents and the council.

Emma observed the obvious tension in Regina's demeanor and the way her whole body seemed to stiffen as she prepared herself to enter.

"I know that you're probably all wound up and ready to throw fireballs at everyone's heads, but I think it's probably best for you to let me do most of the talking. I'd like to keep as much attention off of you as possible." Emma explained while giving Regina a stern look.

"I can take care of myself, Emma." Regina replied indignantly in the tone she had used towards the blonde when she first came to Storybrooke.

Emma sighed softly and tilted her head at Regina, giving her a warm and understanding look.

"I know you can, but I want to help, so please let me."

Emma leaned in to capture Regina's lips in a tender but insistent kiss, attempting to convey more physically than she could with words. She knew that Regina was worried and she wanted to do anything she could to relieve the brunette's anxiety and apprehension.

When Emma pulled away she pulled Regina's hand out of her coat pocket and gave it a squeeze.

"Let's get this over with." Regina said, nodding towards the doors.

* * *

><p>When Emma and Regina entered, everyone was already seated around a large table in the middle of the room. Emma couldn't help but think it was oddly reminiscent of the Knights of the Round Table. She really hadn't thought about what to expect until that very moment, although it surprised her to see how eclectic the group of council members were. It was strange to see Archie, Granny or Leroy even in actual positions of authority next to her parents. All of the faces at the table were familiar, but they felt like strangers – the people she met when she came to Storybrooke were not the people she saw seated in front of her.<p>

Everyone's eyes were trained on them as they approached. There was a seat open for Emma to the right of Mary Margaret, but no other seating accommodation was made available for Regina. Regina tentatively followed Emma, trusting that she'd take the lead as she promised.

Emma reached for the chair and pulled it out, gesturing to Regina to take a seat.

Mary Margaret's eyes widened at the blatant breach in etiquette.

"Emma, what do you think you're –"

"Don't." Emma said sternly as she raised her hand up to stop Mary Margaret's protest and turned again to Regina, who reluctantly took a seat. "If this is supposed to be my seat, I should be allowed to let whoever I want sit in it."

Emma protectively gripped the high back of the chair after Regina settled herself into it, crossing her legs regally and sitting up perfectly straight.

Emma took a sharp breath in through her nose and turned to address everyone at the table.

"We're here to discuss the ogre, so let's get on with it." Emma declared impatiently.

David cleared his throat, figuring it was best just to move on to the issue at hand as Emma had suggested. Despite the situation regarding Regina being tenuous and a bit awkward, there were more concerning developments.

"We've called an emergency meeting of the council to address the presence of an ogre in Storybrooke. From what we understand, the ogre Regina defeated is the only ogre we know of, is that correct Emma?"

Emma turned to address her father but fought a little harder to reel in her agitation and aggression towards this meeting of the council. She kept telling herself that getting into a knock-down drag-out fight wasn't going to do her or more importantly Regina, any good.

"Yeah, that's right. It looks like the ogre coming here was sort of a fluke situation - I don't think we'll see another…at least Gold seemed to think so."

"So what _did_ you find out from Gold, Emma?" Mary Margaret interjected with obvious sharpness to her tone. As much as she tried to be tolerant of Regina it was insulting to have her daughter deliberately undermine her authority in front of the council members. Back in the Enchanted Forest, people could be executed for such an action.

Emma shifted her weight from one foot to another and squeezed the back of Regina's chair, trying to maintain her composure under the tension that hung like a thick fog in the room.

"Apparently someone crossed realms from the Enchanted Forest - someone with magic. If Gold knows who, he isn't telling us."

"Isn't it obvious?" Leroy interrupted angrily, slamming his hand on the table. "Whoever it is, is here because of the _Evil Queen_! It can't be a coincidence that this only happens _after_ the curse is broken."

Archie interjected timidly. "I don't think it's fair to blame Regina when we don't even know –"

"- Well I think Leroy is right! Regina's the only one who would know someone with that kind of power." Granny growled, causing Archie to recoil back into his seat.

Regina had agreed to and tried her best to keep quiet to avoid becoming the topic of conversation, but it didn't take very long for it to careen down that road anyway, even without her help. As the Evil Queen and even as Mayor Mills, she would never have allowed anyone to speak about her in such a way, especially in her presence as though she wasn't even there. She refused to sit there passively while the table full of idiots squabbled about who was to blame when there were more pressing issues at hand.

"Blame me all you want, but condemning me for my past won't change the fact that we still have to come up with a plan on how to deal with whoever is here - and like it or not, that _will _require my assistance." Regina snapped, catching everyone off guard with her sudden entrance into the conversation.

Emma reached her right hand forward to rest on Regina's shoulder, giving it a squeeze in a silent request to try and exercise some restraint.

"Regina's right. We need to stop trying to blame someone for this and we need to figure out how to protect ourselves." Emma implored, looking around the table at each of the council members.

Mary Margaret involuntarily scowled at the way Emma handled Regina. She was not at all pleased with how they had taken up so quickly and easily with each other, especially now that Emma knew who the brunette really was and all of the evil things she had done to them. It made absolutely no sense to her and it worried her more by each passing minute. She tried but failed to mask her distaste towards Regina.

"And why do you think we would want or need your help, Regina?" Mary Margaret asked in her best attempt at an even tone.

"Need I remind you that other than Rumplestiltskin, I am the only practitioner of magic in this town capable of handling whoever it is that crossed realms? Reliance on Mother Superior's fairy magic would be simply moronic and we all know that Rumplestitskin will not be offering up his services without a price." Regina bit back at her former stepdaughter.

The obvious accuracy of Regina's reasoning rendered everyone silent for several uncomfortable moments. No one liked the idea of admitting that they would need the assistance of the former Evil Queen to survive whatever threat had arrived in Storybrooke.

"Maybe it's time we put aside our differences and work together. Hasn't there been enough bad blood to last us all multiple lifetimes?" Ruby reasoned, breaking the silence.

Emma was surprised by the outward support from her friend. She knew that Ruby supported her and how she was handling things with Regina but she honestly wasn't sure if they were close enough for her to outwardly go against Mary Margaret's wishes.

"Ruby – it's not that simple." Mary Margaret said, taken aback by her closest friend's betrayal.

Ruby confidently maintained her position. "I think it is. What good is vengeance going to do any of us if we're all dead?"

"She still needs to be punished." Leroy added grumpily.

"She will be punished Leroy, but first we have to extinguish this threat…" Mary Margaret explained.

Boiling over with anger, Emma slammed her fist on the table.

"Stop it! Stop talking about her like she isn't sitting right here in front of you like a fucking human being! Regina is more powerful than all of you combined – if she wanted to, she could leave all of us here to deal with this mess and take Henry and never return. Instead, she's sitting here, swallowing your bullshit, while you all decide what's more important, your vengeance or her assistance."

Everyone was stunned into silence by Emma's sudden outburst that she took the opportunity to continue uninterrupted.

"Let's be clear on one thing - should you choose to ask for Regina's help, she_ will_ be pardoned from whatever it is that she did in the past as the Evil Queen. Those are the terms and they're_ not_ negotiable."

Emma stood there, attempting to steady her breathing and calm down while the others contemplated her terms. She felt a warm hand rest upon her outstretched arm and she turned to Regina.

"It's alright, dear." Regina said quietly to Emma in almost a whisper, but her remark was not out of earshot of those sitting around the table.

"No it isn't, Regina." David said to Regina.

"David – " Mary Margaret tried to interrupt him.

" - No, Mary Margaret - Emma's right. What kind of people would we be to ask for Regina's help and then still seek vengeance once we got what we needed? It goes against everything that we stand for and I won't be party to it." David insisted, shaking his head at his wife.

Mary Margaret's heart sank once she realized what should have been so obvious to her - David, Emma and Ruby were right. How could she expect Regina to help them if they were going to just turn around and betray her in the end? Despite everything evil that Regina had done in the past, that wasn't the type of people that they were. She also knew that from gauging Emma's reaction, the blonde wouldn't budge on the matter, and if she hoped to have a relationship with her daughter, she'd have to agree to these terms.

Mary Margaret took a deep breath and turned to her daughter, locking their gazes.

"_If_ Regina assists us as needed then I am willing to accept your terms Emma…_but_…if she acts against us in any way, the agreement is null and void. Do we have a deal?"

Emma broke from her mother's gaze and turned to Regina, as she was not about to agree to anything for the brunette without her consent. As much as she wanted to accept for her and to protect her, Regina had to submit to this agreement willingly for it to work.

"Regina..?" Emma prompted the brunette for an answer.

Regina had been stunned by David's show of support. Of all people, she never imagined Mary Margaret's husband would be the one to stick his neck out for her. Once a Charming, always a Charming, she supposed. As she learned with Emma, they couldn't help themselves when it came to assisting those in need and doing the 'right thing'.

As she contemplated the agreement, it became clear that she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. This was going to be the best offer presented to her, and sadly enough, she would have helped them anyway out of concern for Henry and Emma.

It never occurred to her to flee Storybrooke with Henry until Emma had said it. She could still do it, but the idea of leaving the place where she raised Henry and the first place she considered home was unfathomable to her. She was just beginning to feel as though she had a home and a family in Storybrooke with Henry and Emma, and she wasn't about to abandon her chance at happiness out of fear. She resolved that she would accept the agreement, as she had no intentions of doing anything other than assisting in ridding Storybrooke of its intruder and continuing to live out her life in peace.

"I accept your terms." Regina answered Mary Margaret while involuntarily squeezing Emma's arm with the hand that remained there.

Emma moved her left hand from the back of Regina's chair to the brunette's shoulder in unspoken gratitude that Regina had accepted the agreement without a fight. With that matter out of the way, a huge weight was lifted off of their shoulders, as she knew that Regina would never betray them.

Noticing the small touches between the women, David cleared his throat to draw the attention elsewhere. It was clear to him that Mary Margaret had been right about something going on between the two of them, but he knew better than to interfere. He was already on the rocks with his daughter and didn't want to give her any more reasons to keep pushing him away.

"Okay. Now that we've settled that issue, we have to deal with whoever's here in Storybrooke. Regina, do you have any ideas as to who it could be?"

Regina took a deep breath and turned to David. "Unfortunately I do not. Anyone I had any quarrels with I specifically cursed here to Storybrooke or I _eliminated_ prior to enacting the curse."

Emma interrupted, uncomfortable with the focus of this conversation remaining on Regina.

"Is there anything we can do to increase security against someone magical even if we can't identify them at this point?"

"There are a few charms and protection spells that we can set up across town. We will just need to be allowed full access to the fairy dust in the mines." Mother Superior added, making her presence felt for the first time during this meeting.

"Of course, please see to it right away that it is done." Mary Margaret agreed while waving her hand in the air.

"I'm thinking we should enlist a few more temporary deputies and increase patrols around town, day and night. That way if there's anything suspicious going on, someone will notice." Emma suggested.

"Me and my brothers can step up on patrol for the time being." Leroy offered.

Emma looked to her mother for a definitive sign of approval before proceeding with instructions. Mary Margaret locked eyes with her daughter and inclined her head in her direction in unspoken permission to continue.

"Thanks Leroy. After we're done here let's meet up at the station to plan out the schedule."

Leroy nodded in agreement at Emma.

Emma couldn't believe how _well_ this was actually going considering all of the horrors she had concocted within her last few nights of restless dreams. She had convinced herself that she was going to have to physically fight for Regina's life and freedom and was completely taken off guard by an alternative outcome. Oddly enough, the presence of someone potentially far more dangerous than Regina united the town in a way that would never have occurred otherwise. Emma almost wanted to find who practically killed her earlier today and thank them for granting her a momentary reprieve.

"Emma and Mother Superior, you will keep us updated at regular intervals regarding Storybrooke's security as well as any unusual activity. We _will_ get to the bottom of this. For now, this meeting of the council is adjourned." Mary Margaret instructed in a practiced regal tone that was foreign to Emma.

Everyone shuffled about and departed a few at a time, talking amongst themselves. Emma pulled her parents aside in the corner of the hall while leaving Regina temporarily by herself to linger near the door. Despite the numerous disagreements she had with her parents as of late, Emma wanted to try and begin the road to making amends, or at least becoming remotely civil with each other.

She cleared he throat uncomfortably while stuffing her hands in the back pockets of her skinny jeans and then addressed her parents.

"Uh, thanks for what you did – you know, for Regina." Emma stuttered.

As much as Mary Margaret wanted and deserved her own personal justice against Regina, she knew that trying to maintain some form of peace between them all was the only way she was going to get close to her daughter. She knew that Emma was trying to reach out and now wasn't the time to shut her out.

Mary Margaret took a deep breath and forced an uncomfortable looking smile.

"Of course, honey. If Regina wants to prove her loyalty, then I won't stand in her way."

The careful choice of Mary Margaret's words did not escape David or Emma. David chimed in to attempt to smooth over the conversation before it escalated. He reached his arm out and rested it on his daughter's shoulder.

"We're good people, Emma. I can see the change in Regina and she deserves a chance at redemption. I know she's not the same woman that cursed us almost 30 years ago."

Emma pressed her lips together and smiled cordially in response to her father's kind gesture. She knew it wasn't easy for David to put himself between his wife and his daughter, but he did it anyway because he felt it was right. Perhaps David would be the key to her mother coming around. Maybe there was hope, yet.

"Well, I better get back to the station – I've got some serious work to do." Emma said while backing up awkwardly towards the exit to the hall.

David and Mary Margaret watched silently as Emma made her way towards where Regina was waiting for her near the entryway. Ruby brought Henry over to them, who had been waiting down the hallway in Regina's office for the conclusion of the council meeting. They watched as Emma slipped an arm around Henry as they walked out, noticing how she reached her hand around just far enough to cover Regina's as they both guided their son out the door into the hall.

"You know this is only going to get worse, David." Mary Margaret warned her husband in a hushed voice.

David sighed audibly. "I know, but I think we just have to let it run its course. If we try to intervene it will only drive a greater wedge between us. We need to be patient."

"I hope you're right." Mary Margaret muttered.

* * *

><p>After the council meeting dispersed, Emma dropped Regina and Henry off at home before heading back to the station to coordinate the patrols with the dwarves. By the time a plan was in place and everyone was briefed, it was around 11pm when Emma was able to make her way back to the mansion.<p>

Exhausted from the day's events, and still quite sore from her run-in with the ogre, it took every shred of energy left to drag herself up the steps and into Regina's house. Regina had allowed her to take the spare key that was normally kept underneath the mat by the door, so she was able to let herself in without waking Henry. She knew that Regina was still awake as the light in the study could be seen from the foyer.

Emma entered the study to find Regina curled up on the couch with a book. Cuddled up under a blanket in her silk pajamas and reading glasses, you'd never know this woman was once the Evil Queen. Emma couldn't help but appreciate how beautiful Regina looked when she actually relaxed.

"Hey." Emma greeted her with a smile as she leaned against the doorway.

Regina looked up, surprised by Emma's presence, as she was immersed in what she was reading. When she saw Emma she smiled warmly and closed her book.

"Hey." Regina replied, patting the open space next to her on the couch for Emma to sit.

Emma took a few tired strides towards the couch and plopped down next to Regina. The brunette lifted up her blanket to let Emma underneath.

"How did everything go down at the station, dear?" Regina asked while scooting a bit closer to the blonde.

Emma let out a long breath and rubbed her eyes furiously.

"It went as well as could be expected, I guess. We have enough volunteers to prevent anyone from having to take too many shifts, so thankfully I'm not stuck working 24/7."

Regina turned and put her book down on the end table. When she leaned back over she ran a hand underneath Emma's tank top and gently raked her fingers across a toned abdomen.

"I'm glad to see that you know how to delegate. Despite my initial concerns regarding you becoming Sheriff, its clear you are quite capable." Regina purred into Emma's ear, eliciting a low moan from the blonde.

"Still doesn't solve our problem of what we do once we find whoever it is that came here." Emma replied, biting down on her lower lip, trying hard to keep her focus on the issue at hand.

Regina replied in a serious tone. "I think you should reconsider my offer to teach you how to harness your magic. The only real way to combat magic is with magic, and I'd prefer it if you were able to properly defend yourself."

Emma immediately tensed up at the suggestion, so Regina slid back to put some distance between them. Emma was still extremely uncomfortable with the idea of learning magic. She didn't want the responsibility or the power. She already had way too much to worry about and if anyone found out that she could use magic it could complicate things even further. What would people think? What would her parents think? And worse, what if she was a complete and utter failure at it?

Emma sighed deeply and replied in what was almost a whine. "Can't I just use my gun? Unless this mystery person is an ogre, I'm pretty sure a bullet will do the job…"

Regina was beginning to lose her patience with the blonde. Why does she insist upon denying who she is and what she is capable of? To be born with an innate magical power is a gift, one that many would kill for back in the Enchanted Forest. Regina knew that whoever came to Storybrooke posed a real threat to everyone in this town, especially Emma. Growing up in this world, the blonde hadn't been exposed to magic and she had no idea how dangerous of a situation this really was.

"Don't be a fool, Emma. We will need _every_ available resource to rid ourselves of this threat. You haven't seen the destruction that real dark magic is capable of, but I have, first hand. Being the Savior won't be enough to protect you." Regina snapped while getting up from the couch and beginning to pace back and forth in front of Emma.

Emma got up from the couch and stepped in front of Regina, physically preventing her from continuing her anxious pacing.

"Look, I know that you're worried, I am too, but we can handle this. You're powerful enough for the two of us." Emma said in her best effort at a calm and reassuring tone.

"I may not be!" Regina shouted at the blonde. "I refuse to let something happen to you or our son because you are afraid of who you really are!"

Emma finally reached her breaking point on this issue. "I don't want this. I didn't want _any_ of this, Regina! I feel like I'm losing every last bit of who I used to be before I got here. I don't know who I am anymore and it's just _too much_. Why can't you understand that and let me handle this my way?!" Emma shouted at the brunette.

"Because your way is going to get us all killed!" Regina yelled back reflexively.

After seeing Emma's face contort in pain and anger, Regina immediately regretted her words. With Emma's magic they'd stand their best chance, but it was unfair to put the entire burden of their well being on the blonde. It was exactly the kind of thing that would make her run, but it was too late now to take it back.

Emma took a step backward from Regina, who reached out towards her in an attempt to apologize.

"Don't." Emma said coldly, shaking her head and pulling violently away from Regina's reach. Her hazel eyes iced over despite the fact that she was clearly fighting back tears. "If I'm that much of a risk to you and Henry then I should go."

Emma had slammed the front door behind her before Regina could utter another word in response. She was paralyzed as she watched the cruiser tear out of the driveway and disappear down Mifflin Street.

The thought of Emma leaving and never returning ripped Regina apart from the inside out. She leaned a hand on the edge of her desk in order to steady herself. Tears began freely streaming down her face as she contemplated how she would be able to survive if the blonde left her and Storybrooke for good.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you to everyone who left reviews on the last chapter! I know that the little spat between our ladies upset many of you, but I think you will be happy with how this chapter turned out.**

**As always, thank you so much for reading, and keep leaving reviews. They keep me motivated! Enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>The moment that Emma slammed the front door of the mansion shut behind her, she regretted doing so. Over the last year she had fought continuously against reverting back to the person that she was before coming to Storybrooke. Regina had upset her greatly, but it was no excuse for regressing into the person that always left when things got difficult.<p>

Emma hadn't really thought through what she was actually going to do once she stormed out of the mansion, but she just felt the overwhelming need to get away and clear her head. If she tried to go back in there now, she'd probably just fuck everything up more. Giving herself some time to cool off was a much better idea.

Not knowing or caring what her destination would be, Emma began driving around the outskirts of Storybrooke. She rolled down the windows so that she could feel the cool fall air rush past her face and blasted music through the radio so loud it would probably wake everyone in town if she wasn't so far from civilization. Feeling herself retreating into survival mode, she was trying to do whatever she could do to jolt herself back to reality – to fight the instinctual urge to flee.

After driving around mindlessly for about an hour, Emma was beginning to fade. She could blast all of the metal she wanted, but soon she was going to need to sleep. After making her way back to town, she pulled over in front of Granny's and turned off the ignition. She contemplated calling Ruby and getting a room for the night but she didn't want Granny or anyone else to know that something had gone down between her and Regina. No one trusted Regina right now and any signs of conflict would only cause them both more trouble.

Reclining the driver's seat, Emma decided it was probably best to just sleep in the cruiser. If anyone found her there, she could claim she was on patrol and hopefully no one would think anything of it.

It only took her moments after shutting her eyes to drift off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Emma awoke suddenly to a knuckle tapping on her driver's window. She hastily wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and blinked her eyes several times to focus on whoever was intent on waking her up at what could only have been the ass crack of dawn.<p>

She rolled down the window to greet Ruby who held two piping hot styrofoam cups of coffee.

"Hey there, Sherriff. Late night?" Ruby asked playfully.

Emma rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat.

"You could say that." she responded vaguely, forcing a smile and squinting against the sun that was shining through the windshield into her sleepy eyes.

"Wanna stretch those legs, Em?" Ruby suggested, knowing full well that it wasn't the blonde's night to patrol and that something had to have happened for her to have slept out in the cruiser all night.

Letting out a big yawn, Emma stretched out her arms, cracked her neck and nodded at the brunette.

"Sure...thanks."

Ruby stepped back to give Emma room to exit the vehicle. The blonde was wearing the same clothing she had worn the previous day, further cementing her suspicions. Something had happened with Regina last night but she knew better than to pry. Emma wasn't much of a talker but always came around when she was ready. Make Emma feel comfortable and she will come to you – confront her directly and you may spook her.

Ruby handed Emma her cup of coffee and they began walking down silently the sidewalk towards the park. Emma couldn't get her mind off of the fact that she _physically_ ran out on Regina the previous night. After everything they'd been through together and after all of the promises she made, she was ashamed to have left her like that. She didn't agree with Regina about using magic, but she shouldn't have ran….Regina deserved more than that.

Everything that happened over the last 5 days had all just been insanely overwhelming. Time and time again Emma had been tested physically and emotionally and she's at the point where she doesn't know if she can take any more surprises, arguments, or fights to the death.

Deep down, Emma was afraid that Regina was right about everything. Being the Savior won't always be enough – she was afraid of failing her family - of failing Regina and Henry. What if she couldn't protect them? How could she possibly live with herself? She didn't want to turn to magic but perhaps she didn't have a choice in the matter.

Most importantly of all, she had to figure out how to apologize and make it up to Regina.

After walking for several minutes in silence, each woman sipping occasionally on their coffee, Ruby could see that Emma was lost in deep thought. If the way her forehead was scrunching was any indication of what was going on inside her head, Ruby knew it couldn't be anything good. Even when the blonde was troubled she usually still had time for mundane conversation and friendly banter. The brunette reasoned that perhaps some gentle prompting may be warranted…just this once.

"So, I know it wasn't your night to patrol, Em. What's going on?" Ruby asked gently while settling onto a park bench and waiting for Emma to come sit beside her.

Emma sighed and sat down onto the bench beside Ruby. Normally she wouldn't share this kind of information with anyone, especially when it has to do with Regina, but she desperately needed someone to talk to. Ruby was really the only person in the whole town she would be able to trust when it came to Regina.

Emma stared intently into the swirls of steam rising from the mug as she spoke.

"Regina and I had a disagreement last night, and like the idiot that I am, I ran out instead of dealing with it."

Emma frowned and looked up at her friend as she continued.

"Everything that's been going on is really getting the better of me, Rubes. I don't know how much more I can take."

Ruby exhaled softly and offered Emma a sympathetic look. She placed her hand over Emma's thigh in a comforting gesture.

"I can't possibly imagine what you're going through – all of this probably seems _insane_ to you…but you don't have to do it all alone, you know. You have the support of everyone in this town. We'll all get through this together."

Emma turned and covered her friend's hand with her own and forced a small but appreciative smile.

"I know I'm not dealing with any of this well and I was an epic ass to Regina last night. Bolting was probably the worst thing I could do to her and I don't really know how to go about fixing it." Emma explained grimly.

Ruby was beginning to realize that her instincts with Emma and Regina were spot on. Emma was more upset about having it out with Regina than the crisis in Storybrooke at the moment. The flirtations between the women had definitely escalated into something more as that was the only reasonable explanation for the blonde's behavior. Emma would reveal the whole story when she was ready, so Ruby decided that it was best to remain patient and approach her advice and questioning objectively and cautiously.

"Talk to her just like you're talking to me now Em. I know she can push your buttons, but just remember what you're saying now. You want to make things better with her…just focus on that, and you'll be fine."

Emma took a sip of her coffee and frowned, giving Ruby the saddest puppy eyes she'd ever seen, and that's a big deal coming from a wolf.

"What if she's too furious with me? What if I've already fucked it up by running out on her?"

Ruby reassuringly squeezed Emma's hand and stared intently into her eyes to show the sincerity behind her words.

"I've seen the way she looks at you, Em. Regina cares about you and I think a genuine apology will go a long way. You may have to deal with a little bit of a verbal beating first, but I'm sure she'll forgive you."

"I hope so." Emma muttered weakly in response.

Emma really hoped that Ruby was right. She was just starting to adjust to living with Regina and Henry, and they were really settling in together - just like a family. For the first time in her life she got a taste of what happiness could be like, and she just had to go and screw it all up. Signature Emma Swan move.

Ruby got up from her seat on the bench and tossed her empty coffee cup into a nearby trashcan.

"Well, I have to go get ready for my shift at Granny's, and you look like you need a change of clothes. So I'll see you later?"

Emma smiled and wondered how she got so lucky as to have such a genuine and supportive friend.

"Yeah, I'll see you later Rubes, and thanks."

Ruby winked at Emma and then started making her way back towards Granny's. Emma leaned back on the bench and closed her eyes, trying to soak up as much sun and breathe in as much fresh air as possible, hoping that it would calm her nerves for when she had to inevitably face Regina. She figured she could relax a bit before she got too cold and would be forced to make her back home to face the repercussions her actions.

* * *

><p>"It appears that a valuable opportunity has presented itself to us." Cora said confidently with a devious grin as she observed the interaction between Emma and Ruby from the other side of the park, concealed by magic.<p>

"And what opportunity would that be, your majesty?" Hook inquired impatiently, but tried his best to not anger Cora. He was growing tired of lurking in the shadows and waiting around while he all he could think about was skinning his crocodile. It was painful for him to be so close, yet so far from the object of his vengeance.

"My daughter has obviously grown attached to her life and this town. It's time we show her that she has no future here living among these peasants." Cora added smugly, while watching as Ruby departed from the park leaving Emma alone on the wooden bench.

A cool breeze cut through the park causing Hook to shudder involuntarily.

"What is to be done, my Queen?" Hook asked, as Cora's explanation was quite cryptic.

"You haven't forgotten _why_ I was called the 'Queen of Hearts', now have you?" Cora asked, chuckling maniacally at the naïveté of the pirate.

Hook instantly paled when he put together what Cora was implying. He wanted revenge for what the crocodile did to Milah, but that was simply retaliation - an eye for an eye. Cora sought to manipulate and inflict pain upon others - even her own daughter - for her own pleasure. He hoped dearly that he wouldn't have to dirty his hands too much before being freed of their agreement.

"Come. We have work to do." Cora commanded as she departed in the direction Ruby had gone only moments earlier.

Normally Regina only treated herself to one or two cups of coffee a day, but even though it was still early, she was already pouring her third.

After Emma had run out on her last night, Regina cried quietly in her study for what felt like hours. Despite the fact that they had shouted at each other, Henry had either not been woken up, or he was courteous enough to pretend he hadn't heard them argue and remained in his room. She had hoped desperately she wouldn't have to explain to her son what she couldn't adequately explain to herself.

Even though Emma hadn't been sleeping with her long, she found it impossible to fall asleep without her now. She tossed and turned all night long in a fit of restlessness and failed to get even a wink of sleep. Eventually she stopped trying and that's when she decided to head down to the kitchen to brew herself a pot of coffee.

Emotionally and physically exhausted, Regina wasn't sure how she'd be able to face Henry once he awoke - and being that it was nearing 7:00AM, she knew she was running out of time.

It didn't escape Regina that she handled the argument with Emma poorly and that it was her fault that Emma felt as though she had to leave. She shouldn't have said the hurtful things that she said, even though she may have been right about Emma needing to learn to harness her magic. Emma had only been introduced to the world of magic mere days ago – it was silly of her to think that the blonde would take to it so easily and so soon.

It was clear that their argument stemmed from a complete lack of understanding of each other and the cumulative stress of the day's events. Regina resolved that if Emma didn't come home today that she would find her and make things right. She hoped that a little time to cool off would be enough for the blonde to realize that she didn't want to leave them.

Regina took a long sip of her coffee when she heard Henry padding down the stairs and into the kitchen. She turned to her son and gave him the best and brightest smile that she could conjure.

"Good morning, Henry. What would you like for breakfast, dear?" Regina asked while running a gentle hand through his unkempt hair, smoothing it out and placing her coffee mug back on the counter by the sink.

The frown that formed across Henry's face only served to affirm Regina's fears.

"What happened between you and Emma last night, Mom?" Henry asked, intentionally avoiding his mother's attempt at making idle conversation to distract him from what occurred.

Henry felt Regina's hand stiffen as it stopped stroking it through his hair. He could see the sadness in his brunette mother's eyes despite her best attempt at keeping herself neutral and composed.

"Emma and I had a disagreement, but everything is fine, you needn't worry. Now what would you like for breakfast?" Regina deflected, trying to hide her true concern about her argument with Emma and attempting once again to put the issue to bed.

Henry pulled away from his mother's touch, frustrated with how she always tried to handle him.

"Mom, stop it! I know when you're trying to change the subject and it won't work. I'm not a kid anymore. I deserve the truth."

Regina sighed and withdrew her hand to her side, closing it into a fist. She took a sharp intake of breath through her nose before speaking.

"I'm not lying to you, Henry. Emma and I did have a disagreement last night and we are just giving each other a little space to cool down. That's what adults do when they argue."

"So she's coming back?" Henry asked, recognizing his birthmother's pre-Storybrooke track record of leaving and never returning.

That was the question that Regina feared the most, and the one she truly did not have an answer to. She couldn't lie to Henry because when the curse broke, she promised never to lie to him again. However, expressing too much doubt in Emma's return would also cause him a great deal of distress. She had to choose her words carefully.

Regina took Henry's hand and led him over to sit down on his usual stool in the kitchen. She took a deep breath and then fixed her gaze with Henry's hazel eyes that were all too much like his birth mother's in that moment.

"I can't say for sure what Emma will do, but I know she's not the same person she was before she came to Storybrooke. Back then she was an orphan, but here in Storybrooke she has her whole family. I don't believe that family is something that Emma would give up so easily after spending 28 years tirelessly searching for it."

Henry searched his mother's eyes for any sign of deception and found no reason to doubt her words. He squeezed the hand that was still wrapped around his own and formed a warm smile.

"Thank you for telling me the truth, Mom. I think you're right about Emma. She'll be back. Do you think we can make a special dinner for her tonight? She'd love that."

Regina was immediately relieved by how maturely Henry handled her explanation. It was in that moment that she realized that her boy was growing up and she was immensely proud. She recognized that it was unfair of her to continue to try and conceal things from him and resolved to refrain from doing so in the future.

Regina smiled brightly. "That sounds like a great idea, what do you think we should make?"

Henry's face scrunched up for a moment while he pondered the question. "I think we should try to make pizza. It's one of Emma's favorites!"

"Pizza it is – but for now, I need to make you breakfast and get you off to school." Regina said, turning back towards the stove and turning on the burner. "I don't think we have enough time for pancakes, but how about scrambled eggs and bacon?"

"Sounds great." Henry replied with a smile.

* * *

><p>As Emma took each painstakingly heavy step down the brick walkway towards the mansion, she was reminded of the last time that her walk down this very path was just as difficult.<p>

Before Henry ate the turnover and before the curse broke, Emma went to see Regina because she had decided to leave Storybrooke and return to Boston. She was going to leave because she thought it was what was best for Henry. The irony of her second journey down this literal path did not fail to escape her. This time, she wasn't here to see Regina to propose a compromise that involved her leaving for good – instead, she hoped to reach a compromise with Regina so that she could stay.

With her last few strides up the steps, Emma could hear her heartbeat echoing in her ears and she could feel her breathing become increasingly shallow.

Growing up in the foster system lent itself to continuous rejection and disappointments, rendering Emma numb and distant over time. She had no longer feared the rejection because her expectations of people had been reduced to almost nothing. She never let herself have faith or hope in anything for fear of being hurt. If she kept people at a distance, never let anyone in, and never gave up an ounce control, she'd always be safe.

Yet there she was, the seemingly fearless Emma Swan, standing in front of Regina's front door for…she didn't even know how long anymore. Her hand felt heavy, her palms were sweaty, her throat was dry and she was unable to shake an overwhelming feeling of dread. For the first time in her life, Emma had opened herself up to someone, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to survive the rejection.

Emma thought about knocking but realized that gesture alone would start the conversation with Regina off on the wrong foot. Knocking on the door would be taking a step back in their relationship…or whatever it was - but using the key would be an act of emotional maturity that Emma struggled to maintain but knew that she needed to show right now.

She reached into her pocket for the key that Regina gave her and ran her fingers down the ridges and contours, appreciating its weight before pushing it into the lock and giving it a turn. To her surprise, the door had been left unlocked. Regina never overlooked important details such as locking up the house, so it was clear that the brunette had expected her to return, and welcomed it.

Letting out a long drawn breath, Emma removed the key, turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping into the foyer.

After Emma closed the door behind her she turned the deadbolt to lock it. The metallic clack of the bolt being moved into place echoed uncomfortably off of plastered walls and wooden floors.

Something didn't feel right.

"Regina?" Emma called out tentatively, hoping the brunette would answer her.

Several painstaking moments passed with no response.

Emma's heart began to race as she began moving frantically from room to room searching for any sign of Regina. With each empty room she came across, the concerned for Regina's well-being she became.

Maybe the person who came to Storybrooke _was_ really after Regina. What if they already took her? Emma wouldn't even know where to start looking for her and she didn't know how to stop them. She was a complete idiot for questioning Regina about learning magic, and she was an even bigger idiot for leaving her and Henry here unprotected with some sort of magical psychopath out on the loose in Storybrooke.

Just as she had almost given up hope, she realized that there was one last place she didn't check. Emma darted over to the nearest window overlooking the yard and saw Regina outside tending to her garden.

Breathing out a huge sigh of relief she rolled her eyes at herself for being so paranoid and jumping the gun.

"Way to overreact, Swan." she muttered to herself as she made her way outside to see Regina.

* * *

><p>Regina was kneeling over a flower bed, methodically pruning when Emma approached silent-footed behind her. Emma stopped momentarily to appreciate the sight before making Regina aware of her presence.<p>

When Regina was doing something that she truly found joy in, she seemed like a completely different person. At times like this, Emma felt as though she could see the real Regina. The Regina untainted by fear, anger, hurt and betrayal. She hoped that one day, when this entire mess was far behind them, that this would be the only version of Regina that remained.

"You do know that it's impolite to stare, dear." Regina said in a husky voice, startling Emma. Regina stood up and turned around, patting the dirt from her gloves and delicately removing them.

The blonde cleared her throat awkwardly. "Yeah. Sorry. I forgot you could always tell when I was staring at your ass." she joked, offering a chuckle.

"I imagine it would be quite difficult to avoid in this instance as I _was _bent over." Regina conceded with a soft smile.

Emma returned the smile and took a couple of steps over to observe Regina's work in her garden. The flower bed was as pristine as her home. Everything was carefully pruned and it appeared as if it were straight out of some Better Homes and Gardens catalog.

Emma had always assumed Regina had hired some help to tend to the grounds around the mansion, but it was now obvious to Emma that this was something Regina went to great care to do herself. She found that the brunette was a mystery to her, one that she was eager to uncover little by little.

"I'm pretty impressed. You don't really strike me as the _bush pruning_ type, Regina." Emma said, barely able to finish her statement without snorting with laughter at her own lewd joke.

Regina rolled her eyes and shook her head simultaneously at Emma.

"You really are the epitome of maturity, Miss Swan." she replied with affectionate sarcasm, earning a grin and a wink from the blonde.

Regina's demeanor dimmed slightly as she continued. "Tending to this garden has been a hobby of mine since I came to Storybrooke. I find that it calms me in times of great stress."

Emma felt terribly that she was the one causing the brunette enough stress to come out here and mindlessly pluck weeds. A cool breeze shot a chill through her body and she folded her arms tightly across her chest to maintain whatever warmth her thin leather jacket provided.

"Why don't we head inside? It's getting a little cold out here and I'd really like to talk to you about last night." Emma suggested, gesturing towards the house.

"I imagine we should." Regina nodded and began towards the house.

* * *

><p>Both women silently made their way into the kitchen. Emma settled onto her stool and Regina leaned back against the counter by the sink with her arms folded.<p>

"Have you eaten?" Regina asked, breaking the silence and taking Emma surprise by the deviation in topic.

It was clear to Emma that Regina wanted to get past their argument but she was still holding on to some of whatever she felt last night. It made Emma feel guilty and she didn't want Regina to think that she had anything to apologize for.

"No, but you don't have to make anything for me right now. I have something I really need to say and I'd like your full attention." Emma explained.

Regina sighed and then met Emma's gaze. "You have my attention."

Emma exhaled deeply and just went for it. It was now or never, she thought to herself, hoping that she wouldn't totally fuck up what she wanted to say.

"I want to start out by saying I was _completely_ wrong about how I handled everything last night. I should never have ran out on you. It was a gut reaction, one from my past, but I want to make it clear that my intention wasn't, isn't and won't ever be to leave you or Henry."

Emma waited for a response from Regina, but never broke from her gaze. She could see the pain in the brunette's eyes and the slight glint that gave away that tiny tears were beginning to form.

Regina appreciated how genuine, heartfelt and thought out the apology from Emma appeared to be. She felt that Emma truly believed what she was telling her, but she had some doubts as to whether or not Emma could deny her baser instincts to run when things got tough.

"But you did leave, Emma. I didn't know what to expect from you. I was afraid that you wouldn't come back – that I would have to explain to _our_ son why you didn't want to be here. He would have blamed _me_. I have always been the villain and no matter what you do, you will always be the infallible hero in his eyes."

Emma's heart sank. She knew she fucked up but she didn't realize that she hurt Regina this badly. Emma hopped off her stool and immediately closed the gap between them. She rested a gentle hand on one of Regina's tensed forearms and looked into Regina's deep expressive eyes. Despite the brunette's attempt at remaining stoic, her pain was obvious. That was Regina's tell – no matter how hard she tried to hide it, her eyes always revealed everything that she felt.

"Henry would _never_ think that. He loves you and supports you. I know for a fact that he would be angry at me for leaving you - not the other way around."

Seeing the pain that she had caused, Emma became increasingly frustrated with herself and broke away from Regina. She spun around and buried her face in both hands, groaning audibly before turning back to face the brunette.

"I was an idiot, Regina! The_ second_ I slammed that door behind me I wanted to run back in and apologize over and over again until you forgave me for being such a fool! I don't know what else to say or how else I can say it but just because I left this house in anger last night, doesn't mean I will _ever_ abandon you and Henry. The thought is just - _too fucking painful_."

The words flew out of Emma's mouth before she had any opportunity to filter any of it. She just stood there, breathing heavily with her knuckles whitening from squeezing her hands so tight - waiting desperately for any sign of forgiveness. In this moment, Emma felt more exposed and more vulnerable than she ever felt in her entire life. For the first time she was truly honest and open with someone and it scared the crap out of her. She was scared to death that it wasn't going to be enough – that _she_ was never going to be enough.

Regina was completely taken aback by the blonde's raw outpouring of emotions. No one had ever begged for her forgiveness like this. As the Evil Queen she became accustomed to being the object of whatever blame that was being passed around. For Emma to stand up and profess that it was her fault when it was clear that there was fault on both sides was unfathomable. And here she was, apologizing continuously for it without expecting any sort of apology in return.

Despite the fact that Emma was saying all of the right things, Regina still had her reservations. If she was going to continue to be open with the blonde, she had to set the record straight.

"If you truly mean everything you just said, then you can't _ever _do that to me again. If we argue, you stay - if you need space, you tell me and I'll give it to you – but don't you _dare _run out on me again." Regina replied sternly, trying her best to mask the pain behind her words.

While it was clear that Regina was still angry with her, Emma felt a rush of relief wash over her. Even though Regina hadn't outwardly said that Emma was forgiven for running out on her, the brunette was clearly giving her a second chance - she hadn't been rejected after all.

Emma took couple of tentative steps towards Regina and raised a gentle hand to cup her cheek.

"I won't." she assured her in almost a whisper, staring deeply into Regina's eyes.

Returning an accepting glance, Regina leaned in to capture Emma's lips in a passionate kiss.

Any time they kissed had always been nothing short of mind-blowing, but this kiss meant something more to both of them. It was because this time, it wasn't just about sex or power, need or want. It was about understanding and compassion and raw emotion being exchanged between two people.

Their kiss seemed to extend on for what felt like ages, as neither woman wanted it to end. Regina finally pulled away first as she felt as though she hadn't adequately apologized when Emma had poured her heart out to her for forgiveness.

"Emma, I'm sorry. I never should have said such hurtful things to you. I should have understood that the idea of magic may not be as palatable to someone who didn't grow up in a land surrounded by it. I should have been more patient and I should never have snapped at you like that."

Emma tilted her head and gave Regina a soft understanding smile.

"It's okay. It upset me at the time but I know you didn't mean it. What do you say we have some breakfast before I head out for my shift and we'll save the talk about magic for tonight?"

"Of course, dear. We can't have our Sheriff out patrolling on an empty stomach now, can we?" Regina replied with a smirk and turned away to begin gathering what she needed to prepare breakfast.

Emma smiled warmly and assumed her usual position on what was officially 'her' stool, content to just watch the beautiful creature that was Regina Mills, in her element.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you all so much for the continued support and wonderful feedback. I hope you enjoy this update!**

* * *

><p>Ruby's walk back towards Granny's was brisk, but pleasant. As autumn was upon them, the mornings began at a cooler temperature, but Ruby didn't mind. The sun was still very bright this time of year and the slight chill in the air was invigorating. She still had a little bit of time left before her shift started at Granny's so she intentionally took her time heading back.<p>

As she made her way down the sidewalk towards the main part of Storybrooke, occasional leaves and twigs that were dislodged by the fall breeze crunched beneath her feet. Her thoughts drifted back to her previous conversation with Emma.

She knew that her friend was troubled when she found her asleep in the cruiser this morning, but seeing how quiet Emma was really concerned her. Ruby didn't wholly trust Regina just yet, but she knew that Emma wouldn't trust anyone easily without good cause or reason – especially where Henry was concerned. Whatever they argued about was probably important, but Emma seemed far more upset about what she did than whatever she and Regina had actually fought over.

Even though she didn't give much by way of advice, Ruby really felt like she made a breakthrough with Emma. The blonde looked like she was ready to leave Storybrooke, and reminding her that things would get better and that she had support seemed to go a long way. There were times that Ruby didn't feel very useful around here in Storybrooke, so she was happy to lend a hand where she could. Ruby was confident when she left Emma out there on that park bench that it wouldn't be the last she saw of her.

As she rounded the corner of Main Street, Ruby's wolf senses kicked into overdrive, ripping her abruptly from her thoughts. Stopping dead in her tracks she turned and searched in each direction, trying to locate the source of the perceived threat. If anything were out of the ordinary, she'd be able to catch it, as no one was ever up this early in Storybrooke.

Ruby smelled something before she heard it, but by that point it was already too late. She spun around only to be confronted with a man she had never seen before in Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest. He looked - and definitely smelled - like some dirty old pirate.

Hook took a step further into Ruby's personal space as he spoke and the brunette was almost knocked off her feet by the offensive stench of whiskey on his breath.

"Where do you think you're going, love?" Hook asked coyly as he continued to stalk towards Ruby, flashing his hooked hand at her.

"Who the hell are you?" Ruby asked, taking a step back, only to bump into something else behind her.

Ruby jumped back and turned around only to be met with an intimidating looking, yet beautiful older woman. She was dressed in an outfit that was clearly from the Enchanted Forest and that those only with wealth or power would wear.

"Who we are is irrelevant, my dear. You won't remember any of this in a few minutes." Cora replied with a disturbingly devious smile.

Ruby's eyes widened involuntarily in fear as she realized that there was nothing she could do to combat the two assailants, especially since she knew this woman had to be the one who crossed over from the Enchanted Forest. When it wasn't wolf's time, Ruby was as defenseless as any other human.

Two strong arms wrapped around her from behind, the arm with the remaining hand covered her mouth to muffle any attempts at a scream, and the other around her waist. Ruby struggled as best she could against the man, but she was inevitably dragged into the nearest alley between the storefronts.

Cora stalked behind them, following them calmly into the alley. To Ruby's surprise, Hook suddenly released her from his hold. She was about ready make a run for it when Cora's words stopped her.

"I wouldn't try anything foolish if I were you, my dear. There's only one way that this is going to end, so you might as well make it easier on yourself." Cora warned.

Cora raised an arm and waved her hand in front of her. Ruby's body was locked in a purple magical stasis from the neck down, preventing her from making even the smallest movement.

"What do you want from me?" Ruby struggled to ask through quickened breaths, as her heartbeat raced due to her uncontrollable fear of what was to come.

Cora took several steps forward, stopping only inches away from Ruby. She lifted her hand up and gently caressed the side of the brunette's face.

"You, my pet, are going to help me get my daughter back." Cora leaned in and purred into her ear.

Ruby's face contorted in confusion as she tried to piece together in her mind who this woman's daughter could possibly be.

"Who -?" was the only word she was able to mutter before Cora plunged her hand violently into Ruby's chest.

Ruby felt the hand constrict around her heart before it was yanked forcefully and painfully from her body. Cora laughed maniacally as she admired the bright red heart she plucked from Ruby's chest.

Upon seeing her own heart in the woman's hand, Ruby was hit with the sudden realization of who the woman in front of her really was.

"You're _Regina's_ mother, aren't you?" Ruby choked out through labored breaths.

"Aren't you a clever one? It's no matter. I'm going to wipe your memory so you won't have any recollection of our little encounter." Cora said as she formed a smile.

Before Ruby could reply, Cora once again waved her hand over her. It trailed with a plume of purple smoke that forced its way into Ruby through her mouth and nostrils. For a moment the brunette's eyes closed, but when they re-opened, they glowed a bright purple and then returned to normal.

Cora released the stasis and held the heart up in front of her.

"Run along now, my pet." she whispered to the heart, which seemed to brighten as it absorbed its instructions.

Ruby catatonically made her way out of the alley and back towards Granny's as if she had never been interrupted.

"Now that you have her heart, your majesty, how do you plan to use it?" Hook asked, trying to ascertain how much longer she would need his assistance.

Cora scowled and then turned back to face him with a more patient and carefully constructed expression. Hook really wasn't the brightest but he would serve his purpose in the end, so she tried her best to remain tolerant of him.

"That girl has access to all of the major players here in Storybrooke. It will be much easier to exert my influence from the inside. Once I complete my task I will finally be able to reunite with my daughter."

"Why don't you just reveal yourself to her now, and save us both the time and trouble?" Hook asked impatiently.

"I need her to be _receptive_ before I reveal my presence to her." Cora explained.

"You mean broken." Hook corrected her with a slight air of disdain.

"Semantics, my dear." Cora replied with an artificial smile.

* * *

><p>Emma let out a deep sigh as she surveyed the piles of paperwork on her desk. Before the curse broke there was always a generous amount of paperwork to be completed, which she had always assumed was Regina's doing. During their feud, Regina loved bogging Emma down with mundane tasks – anything to annoy her in an attempt to drive her out of town. As Emma struggled to sort through the paperwork now, she realized that despite Regina's constant badgering that she complete reports or budgets, it was clear these tasks were actually necessary to keep the town and the Sheriff's office running smoothly.<p>

Even if the paperwork was a necessary task, it still didn't explain why Regina had always insisted upon marching down to the Sheriff's office herself to personally coerce Emma into completing her work by the required deadlines. Regina could have sent an email, or called her on the phone, but she insisted upon parading her sexy ass into the station, perching herself on a desk and verbally berating Emma.

Perhaps Regina hadn't known it at the time, as it wasn't apparent to Emma until this moment, but Regina had obviously used paperwork as an excuse to come by the station and flirt with her. Regina Mills had an odd method of flirtation, but there was no mistaking it now, it was definitely flirting.

Emma was grinning like a fool at her desk when a knock at her office door startled her. She looked up hoping that she'd find Regina leaning in the doorway, but instead, she saw Mary Margaret. The grin instantly fell from her face to a neutral expression of indifference.

"Mary Margaret – what can I do for you, today?" Emma asked in an emotionless tone, hoping that Mary Margaret had some real business to discuss and that this wasn't a mother-daughter social call. She really didn't have the time or the energy for a heart to heart today.

Emma's cold response made Mary Margaret a bit uncomfortable, but she came there for a reason and she wasn't going to waver.

"Can I sit?" Mary Margaret asked, gesturing towards the chair in front of Emma's desk.

Emma leaned back in her chair and held an arm out indicating that Mary Margaret could sit. "Yeah, sure."

Mary Margaret settled uncomfortably into the chair and placed the tray of to-go drinks from Granny's and a paper bag on the desk in front of her.

She cleared her throat awkwardly as Emma folded her arms across her chest and scanned the offerings, clearly waiting for her to reveal what she wanted.

"I wasn't sure if you'd had breakfast or not, but I figured you were probably busy with everything going on and though you could use a pick-me-up." Mary Margaret explained sheepishly.

Emma pressed her lips together into a thin line and then exhaled deeply. As much as she wanted her mother to just be 'dropping by' to say hello, she knew a bribe when she saw one. She wondered if there would ever be a point in this town, with these people, that they would stop needing or wanting something from her.

"Thanks. That's not really why you're here though, is it?" Emma confronted her mother directly.

Mary Margaret expected a blunt approach from her daughter, but that didn't mean it made her any less uncomfortable. She could see the pain, anger and skepticism behind Emma's eyes and it hurt her deeply knowing that she chose an awful life for her daughter – one that resulted in such a guarded and closed off person.

"No, it's not." Mary Margaret admitted.

"Your father – David – and I were talking and we thought it would be nice if you and Henry would come over tonight for dinner. I know things are a bit strange but having dinner together as a family once in a while may make things easier. It would give us a chance to get to know each other again." Mary Margaret suggested hopefully, searching her daughter's expression for any sign of acceptance.

Emma considered the suggestion for a moment. She supposed that one of the first steps to getting to know her parents would be to actually spend time with them. It would also be unfair to keep Henry from getting to know his grandparents, despite whatever her relationship was like with them. There were two major issues here though – she already had plans to have dinner with Regina tonight, and she didn't feel comfortable making any arrangements about Henry without speaking to her first.

"Dinner with Henry sounds like something we could possibly do at some point, but I'd have to discuss it with Regina first. And tonight isn't good, I already have plans." Emma answered, trying to decline without sounding like she wasn't interested.

Mary Margaret had assumed that despite the awkwardness between them that she would accept the offer. The fact that Emma would assume that she needed permission from Regina of all people to take _her_ son to dinner with _her_ family was absolutely preposterous. Whatever was going on with Regina was clearly getting out of hand.

Mary Margaret stiffened up in her seat in a defensive posture, and the muscles in her jaw visibly tensed in response to Emma's rejection.

"I don't understand why you would need Regina's permission to bring _your_ son to have dinner with his grandparents."

Emma sighed audibly and rolled her eyes.

"Not this again, Mary Margaret. He's not just _my_ son. As much as you just want to pretend that Regina didn't raise him for 10 years to make it easier for us to get back to being a"family", it's not that simple. Henry is my son _and_ Regina's son, and even though it makes for a fucked up parenting arrangement, we're all just going to have to deal with it."

Mary Margaret scowled at Emma's defiance. Even after the curse broke Regina was still getting her way and nothing angered Mary Margaret more.

"Regina doesn't ask you for permission when she takes Henry, so why should you? You're catering too much to that woman and it needs to stop. She's taking advantage of you."

"Enough!" Emma shouted, slamming her hand down on her desk, causing Mary Margaret to jump back in her seat. Emma stood up and leaned over her desk, planting both hands firmly atop the pile of paperwork while glaring down at Mary Margaret.

"I don't think you understand what I'm telling you. Regina raised Henry for _10_ years. _She_ is for all intents and purposes his mother. The only thing I did was carry him for 9 months and then give him away. And do I really have to remind you who has legal custody of Henry? Regina is letting me be a part of Henry's life when she doesn't have to at all. So yes, when it comes to big decisions in Henry's life, I'm going to talk to _his mother_ first."

Mary Margaret stood up from her chair and stepped back from Emma, giving herself some much needed space.

"I don't know what Regina has done to you but this isn't you! Don't you remember how she tried to run you out of Storybrooke, and how she tried to kill you? You can't trust her, Emma!"

Emma stomped around her desk over to Mary Margaret.

"Regina did all of that because she was scared to death. Scared of the curse breaking, scared of losing Henry and scared of losing her life! If I were in her position I would have done the same thing. We need to just let all of this crap go and make the best of what we have. If not for any of us, we need to do it for Henry."

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to talk but Emma shook her head.

"No – I'm not done. You and Regina need to work out whatever issues you have from your past, because like it or not, you will always be in each other's lives. I refuse to let you put Henry and I in the middle of your bullshit. I'm willing to try and work on our relationship, but until you work things out with Regina I don't see us having a fair shot."

After several moments of silence, Emma turned and sat back down at her desk. She began shifting some of the piles of paperwork around when it was clear that Mary Margaret, despite her silence, hadn't intended on leaving yet.

"If you don't mind, I have work to do." Emma advised coldly, indicating that Mary Margaret was no longer welcome in her office.

Despite the blatant suggestion that Mary Margaret should leave, she stood her ground. Tears began to form behind her eyes and she fought desperately to keep them from escaping. She bit her lower lip but failed to contain her frustration.

"You love her, don't you?" Mary Margaret choked through her tears.

The pen dropped with a thud on the desk from Emma's hand as she processed Mary Margaret's words. Emma's fist balled up tightly and began to shake from the raw anger pouring out of her. She looked up at Mary Margaret with any icy vacant expression.

"My relationship with Regina is _none_ of your business. Now, _get out_." Emma growled.

With tears now freely falling down Mary Margaret's face, she scurried out of Emma's office without another word.

Once Mary Margaret was out of sight, Emma let out a long strained breath and chucked a nearby stapler into the wall, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Knowing that she was now alone in her office, she let herself go, collapsing over her desk sobbing loudly until she felt as though she had no more tears left to shed.

* * *

><p>When Emma shut the door behind her, she heard laughter coming from the kitchen.<p>

"Emma?" she heard Regina call from the other room.

"Yeah, it's me, I'll be there in a second." she responded while hanging up her coat in the hallway before making her way to the kitchen.

Before stepping into the entryway of the kitchen, Emma took a deep breath and did her best to affix a happy expression on her face prior to greeting Regina and Henry. The argument she had with Mary Margaret lingered with her for the rest of the day, but she didn't want that to ruin her time at home.

"Hey guys – what's this?" Emma said cheerfully as she surveyed their work in the kitchen. Henry and Regina were leaned over the counter rolling out dough for what looked an awful lot like pizza.

Henry's head popped up and he grinned wildly at Emma. He was adorably covered with an exorbitant amount of flour.

"Emma, we're making pizza, just for you! I told mom it was your favorite and that we had to make it."

Emma smiled brightly, ruffled Henry's hair and planted a big kiss on top of his head. Regina really raised Henry right, she thought. He was such a considerate kid.

"Thanks kid, it's really nice of you to think of me like that. Everything looks great, I can't wait to eat it - I'm starving!"

Emma looked up from Henry and her eyes connected with Regina's. They exchanged soft smiles and warm looks, but knew better than to show blatant romantic affection in front of Henry just yet.

Though Emma looked delighted by the surprise, Regina could tell that something was off with the blonde. She knew that Emma had been overly taxed emotionally and physically these days, but even so, she still looked overly pale and fatigued beyond what could be considered normal. It was important that they had a pleasant dinner with Henry after what happened last night, so she decided that she would ask Emma about it after Henry went up to his room.

Emma slipped past Henry and around to Regina, discretely wrapping an arm around her waist while leaning over to examine their work. Despite having a horrible day, coming home to those two smiling faces was enough to lift her spirits. If she played her cards right, maybe it could remain a regular thing.

"So what _kind_ of pizza are we having tonight?" Emma inquired, beaming at both Henry and Regina.

"It's a surprise, Emma, you can't see until it's done!" Henry explained loudly.

"That's right, dear. Why don't you go wash up and grab a beer while we finish up here." Regina suggested while playfully dabbing some flour on Emma's nose with her fingertip.

Emma wiggled her nose playfully before wiping it with the back of her sleeve.

"I'll get you back for that later." Emma whispered as she leaned into Regina's ear.

With a sparkle in her eye, Emma pulled back and smirked at how Regina flushed at such a simple gesture.

"Alright, but don't keep me waiting too long, I'm _starving_!" Emma said loudly, addressing both Henry and Regina, while she pulled open the fridge and popped open a beer.

Emma shot one last glance back at both Regina and Henry, trying to capture that moment forever in her memory. She arched an eyebrow at Regina, who answered it with a wink, and then ducked out of the kitchen into the den to recline and rest for a few minutes before dinner.

* * *

><p>Dinner that night was almost too good to be true. Henry remembered that Emma's all-time favorite was Hawaiian, and it was arguably the best Hawaiian pizza she had ever tasted. Regina was a fabulous cook – she even managed to execute a meal flawlessly despite not having made or eaten it before. They had also miraculously had pleasant family-type conversation for the duration of the meal without having one argument. Emma wondered if this was what 'real' family dinners were supposed to be like. She was even beginning to dare to wonder if this was something that she could actually have for herself.<p>

Henry had gone upstairs after dinner without protest, leaving Regina and Emma to finish cleaning up.

As Emma followed Regina into the kitchen with a pile of dinner dishes, she was the first to break the contented silence.

"So the kid thought up this whole dinner on his own, huh?" Emma asked as she set down her pile of dishes in the sink.

Regina turned on the faucet and began rinsing the dishes. They were having a pleasant night already, so she hoped her answer wouldn't spawn an argument.

"Yes, it was solely his idea. Henry had heard our argument and he wanted to make you feel welcome when you came back home tonight."

Emma's heart sank. She hoped that Henry hadn't heard their argument, but she supposed it would be difficult for him not to, given the shouting and slamming of doors.

"I'm sorry, Regina. Is he alright? I mean, he seemed okay at dinner..." Emma stammered, reaching a hand out to touch Regina, then deciding against it, letting her hand drop awkwardly at her side.

Regina visibly stiffened as she recalled the heart-wrenching uncertainty of not knowing whether or not the blonde would return to them.

"He and I had a talk this morning about it before he left for school. You came home, so that's all that matters to him. Children are resilient." Regina explained with a slight edge to her tone.

Emma sighed and watched Regina as she scrubbed the dishes a bit too furiously. She laid her hand over Regina's to stop her from scrubbing.

"I don't know how else I can apologize for leaving last night. I'm not going to leave Storybrooke, no matter what we fight about."

Regina refused to meet Emma's eyes because she knew that what was about to say would not be received well by the blonde.

"I know you say that now, and I know that you mean it dear - but I think you fail to realize that things are going to get far worse before they get better."

Emma pulled her hand away and stepped back from Regina.

"So you're saying you don't trust me? After everything we've been through together - how can you say that?"

Regina dropped the dishes from her hands and wiped them aggressively on the front of her apron. She turned to Emma, locking eyes with her for the first time, fighting to hold back her emotions.

"Because I'm scared, Emma. Anyone I've ever loved has betrayed or abandoned me. It's only a matter of time before you do the same."

Emma became increasingly frustrated, as it seemed that her and Regina were destined to have the same arguments over and over again.

"We've been through this Regina. I want to try, I want to stay and I have no intentions of leaving. I want to figure out whatever it is that you and I have and I want to make it work for us, and for Henry. It doesn't mean we're not going to have slip-ups, or that we're not going to have arguments, but I'd never abandon either of you like that. No matter what happens between us, I'm here for good, okay?"

Regina nodded silently while holding back tears. Emma reached out and pulled the brunette into a tight embrace. Regina sobbed slightly into the crook of the blonde's neck as Emma stroked a gentle hand through her hair.

"I'll never leave you, Regina. You'll never be alone again. I promise." Emma whispered reassuringly into her ear.

After Regina calmed down a bit Emma pulled apart and wiped some of the stray tears from Regina's cheeks.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, why don't we grab ourselves another drink and chat in the study about what we were really supposed to discuss tonight." Emma suggested.

"Alright, dear. Let me just freshen up a bit and I'll join you with our drinks." Regina agreed.

"Sure. I'll be waiting for you." Emma said, leaning in to give Regina a gentle kiss on the cheek. She smiled at the brunette and disappeared from the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Regina entered the study about 10 minutes later with a beer and a glass of red wine in hand. She found Emma sitting awkwardly on the sofa, obviously having had enough time alone to get herself worked up about the conversation they were about to have.<p>

When Emma heard Regina, she looked up at her and smiled, shifting over to allow the brunette to sit next to her.

"Thanks." Emma said as Regina handed her the beer. She took a long swig and placed it down on the table with a coaster.

"Before we get started, I need to ask you something first. When you came home, I could tell that something was wrong but I didn't want to ask you in front of Henry. What happened today?" Regina asked with genuine concern, and placed a gentle hand atop Emma's thigh.

The color instantly drained from Emma's face. Regina knew immediately that her instincts were correct and that something had happened earlier today that the blonde likely did not care to share with her.

Emma bit down at her bottom lip. She had planned on discussing this at some point with Regina, but having several difficult conversations in one day was not something that Emma enjoyed doing. Now that Regina brought it up, they would have to discuss it, but she aimed to keep the conversation brief.

"Mary Margaret came to see me at the station today. She suggested that Henry and I come over for a 'family dinner'. When I told her that I already had plans tonight, and that I'd have to ask you before agreeing to anything with Henry…it didn't go over very well." Emma explained with a frown.

Regina's stomach instantly dropped. 'Charming' family dinners meant that Henry would spend less time with her and more with his 'real' family.

"Oh." was all she could seem to mutter in response.

Emma saw the look on Regina's face and immediately rushed to clarify.

"I told her that _you_ were his mom, first and foremost, and that any major decisions regarding Henry had to go through you. Mary Margaret didn't agree with that, but I told her that I didn't give a crap what she thought. They may want me to have Henry all to myself, but I have no intentions of letting that happen. Henry needs you and you need him."

Regina searched Emma's eyes but could find no signs that she wasn't being truthful with her. Even so, she couldn't help but feel that there was more that Emma wasn't telling her.

"I trust you, Emma. When it comes to Henry I know you truly have his best interests at heart. What is really bothering you about your quarrel with your mother? I can't just be over one meal a week at the 'Charming' household."

Emma grabbed her beer, took another deliberate chug, and then combed a hand through her hair.

"Mary Margaret has made it very clear that she doesn't approve of what is going on between you and I." Emma explained, nervously averting her eyes.

"What does she know of what is going on between us? You didn't tell her anything, did you?" Regina snapped involuntarily.

"No! Of course I didn't…she just…_guessed_ somehow." Emma recovered with a stutter. "Even after she said something about it I specifically didn't confirm or deny anything. I told her it was none of her business and I told her to get the hell out of my office."

Regina rubbed her temple and took a sip of her wine before responding to Emma.

"Well this complicates things a bit, doesn't it?" Regina stated with a soft sigh.

Emma frowned, wanting to reach out to Regina but instead just clenched her hand in her lap. She bit down on her lower lip and then shifted to better face Regina.

"I wish it didn't. All of this is hard enough for me. I know I should be happy that I found my family but it is nothing like how I imagined it would be. I just want peace between all of us and a chance to get to know them. Just trying to plan one stupid dinner with my parents ends in an argument. I don't know what do to anymore, Regina." Emma said dejectedly, burying her face in her hands.

Regina felt guilty for all of the stress and anguish that Emma was going through. If it wasn't for her feud with Snow, Emma wouldn't be caught in the middle of all of it.

She gently began rubbing Emma's back. "I'm sorry, dear. All of this is my fault."

Emma lifted her head out of her hands and looked over at Regina.

"No, don't blame yourself. The actions of so many people led us all to this point. I'm tired of everyone trying to blame one person."

Emma sighed deeply. "I know this may seem like a lot to ask, but do you think you could ever forgive her, Regina? Even if you couldn't truly forgive her, do you think you could get past it enough so that we can all be civil towards each other?"

Regina's lips pursed at the thought of spending any voluntary time with Mary Margaret, but she could see that it meant a lot to Emma that they all get along. Their fighting hurt Emma and it would inevitably hurt Henry, and that's the last thing she wanted for either of them. Regina supposed she could try and be civil, if Mary Margaret agreed to it. If they were all going to be in each other's lives, there really was no avoiding the woman.

"I _could _be open to being civil with your mother if she can manage the same towards me. I hate seeing what this is doing to you, and I don't want Henry to get dragged into it either."

"Thank you." Emma said as she took Regina's hand and squeezed it tightly.

Emma blew a long breath out after taking one last sip of her beer and placing the empty bottle back on the table. She cleared her throat and rubbed the palms of both of her hands down her thighs, wiping away the perspiration.

"So…I guess we should probably figure out this magic thing, right?"

Regina could tell that the topic caused Emma a great deal of distress and tried to approach it as gently as possible to avoid a repeat of the previous night.

"I still feel strongly that if you learn to control your magic that you would stand a much better chance against whoever has crossed over into Storybrooke. I'm not looking to force anything on you that you don't want, Emma. Ultimately it has to be your choice. I just can't bear the thought of losing you when there's more I could have done to ensure your safety." Regina said, trailing off with a pained look in her eyes. She took a brief moment to compose herself and then continued.

"What we really need to address here are the concerns you have surrounding your magic so that perhaps I can offer you some answers."

Emma took a moment to collect her thoughts while fiddling nervously with the zipper on her boot.

"I know that you mean well and everything, I just…"

Emma sighed with obvious frustration and rose from her seat on the sofa.

Walking over to Regina's desk she leaned forward over it, with her fingers digging into the surface. After closing her eyes and taking a few deliberate breaths she turned around and leaned back against the desk. Her hands found themselves involuntarily death gripping the edge as if it was the only thing keeping her grounded. Finally, she looked up at Regina, whose eyes now reflected deep concern for whatever Emma was about to say.

"I'm afraid of what I am, and of what I'm truly capable of. I'm afraid that it will consume me because I know deep down that I'm _not _the embodiment of goodness that everyone thinks I am. I'm afraid that with every step I take I'm losinganother piece of who I am…and I'm worried that if anyone finds out that I can use magic that they'll reject me out of fear - That after _everything_ I've been through I'll be left with nothing all over again."

Feeling stupid for having confessed such personal insecurities, Emma dropped her gaze to the floor and folded her arms tightly across her chest.

Regina now realized exactly why Emma reacted the way she did the previous night. It wasn't _just_ about the magic - she could see that now.

Regina got up from the sofa and walked over to Emma. She ran a warm hand softly down Emma's arm and lifted her chin with the other between two fingers.

Emma's reluctant eyes met her gaze and Regina leaned in slowly and pressed a soft and gentle kiss on her lips.

After several moments Regina pulled back and lightly caressed Emma's cheek.

"You don't have to be perfect for everyone to love you and accept you, dear. All of us, even your parents have had their dark moments. I won't lie and tell you that acceptance will always come easy, but I know that your parents love you enough to overcome almost anything. Above all, I can promise you that you will always have Henry and I. No matter what, you will never be alone again - just as you have promised me."

Emma closed her eyes and let out a drawn sigh. She looked back up at Regina with what still seemed like a world's worth of doubt.

"What if I can't control it? What if it changes me?" Emma asked weakly with tears beginning to glisten in her eyes.

Regina knew all too well how Emma was feeling and her concerns were valid. When she had agreed to become Rumplestiltskin's apprentice, everything that she was asked to do felt like a compromise of who she was and what she wanted to be. Her thirst for the strength and the power to avenge Daniel caused her to lose a piece of herself. She made a conscious choice to give in to the darkness – something that she'd never let Emma do, now that she fully appreciated the consequences.

"It won't change you unless you let it. You have to keep focused on the intent – _why_ you are using your magic. You won't be pulled into the darkness unless you choose to be. I made the wrong choice a long time ago, but I did it willingly. The difference between you and I, Emma, is that I had no one there to support me and guide me down the right path. You have me and I won't let you make the same mistakes I did. I can promise you that."

Emma contemplated Regina's words carefully. She trusted the brunette - her superpower told her that it was the right call and it hadn't failed her yet. She was scared shitless of the unknown, but she knew that she ultimately didn't have a choice. She had to protect her family and everyone else in Storybrooke.

Emma exhaled deeply and reached her hand towards Regina, tracing her fingers down the buttons on her neatly pressed silk blouse. She hooked a finger between the buttons and pulled Regina towards her, pressing their bodies together.

"Okay." The blonde agreed as she wrapped her other arm around Regina's waist.

"But for now, I'd love it if we could go to bed. I'm sore and exhausted, and all I want to do is hold you tonight. Think we can put off magic lessons for a little longer?"

"Of course, come on dear." Regina said with a warm smile, taking the opportunity to steal another kiss from the blonde before reaching for her hand and guiding her up the stairs to bed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you all for the feedback and reviews! This chapter is a little heavy in the beginning but lightens up in the second half.**

**As a side note, I have some family matters coming up in the next few weeks, so my updates may not come out as diligently at the 1x per week mark. However, I will still be working on the chapters, they may just publish a little slower. I don't imagine more than a two week wait at most.**

**Thank you for continuing to follow this story and I hope you enjoy. Please keep the feedback coming!**

* * *

><p>When the curse had finally broken, Mary Margaret assumed that she'd be spending most of her time with David and Emma, but with everything going on lately, she found it difficult to spend any sort of quality time with either of them. She and Emma were barely on speaking terms, and she and David rarely had the same schedule. Mary Margaret was tied up at school most of the day, and David was still working at the shelter.<p>

Mary Margaret decided this morning that it would be a wonderful idea to pick up lunch at Granny's and surprise David at work for a little alone time. They had been cursed to coexist within Storybrooke together for so long, but with David in a coma they hadn't really been together since the day she gave birth to Emma. She felt as though on some level, due to all the time that had passed, that they needed to reconnect all over again. It didn't help that they weren't seeing eye to eye with regards to how to handle the 'Emma' situation, so Mary Margaret hoped that some special time together would do the trick.

As Mary Margaret pulled the door open to Granny's, she was immediately greeted by the bright smile of her best friend, Ruby Lucas.

"Hey there, stranger." Ruby said playfully as Mary Margaret settled onto a stool at the counter. "What can I get for you today?"

"Hey." Mary Margaret returned with a warm smile. "Can I get a grilled cheese and a BLT to go, please?"

"Who's our mystery diner? Wait, let me guess, is it Emma?" Ruby asked, not waiting for an answer. She immediately observed Mary Margaret's expression darken at the sound of her daughter's name.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed…" Ruby apologized, as she passed the lunch order back to Granny in the kitchen.

Mary Margaret frowned and looked up at Ruby with the saddest of eyes that were already glistening with the beginnings of tears.

"Did something happen between you two?" Ruby prompted the pixie haired brunette.

Mary Margaret sighed and kneaded her hands nervously on the counter in front of her.

"No matter what I do or how hard I try, Emma keeps pulling farther away from me. We're supposed to finally be a family, but now it's as if we're still literally worlds apart. Even before the curse broke…when we were just friends and roommates to each other, we were close. Emma even said that she considered me family when I was just Mary Margaret to her - but now, it's worse than as if we were strangers. I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever be able to get past this."

Ruby laid a sympathetic hand over Mary Margaret's and gave them a gentle squeeze. She leaned over and locked eyes with the brunette.

"I know things are difficult right now, but Emma just needs time to adjust. She will come around." Ruby reassured her.

Mary Margaret shook her head in exasperation.

"This whole situation with Henry and Regina – it's just complicating everything. I can't seem to get any time with my own daughter and grandson without Regina getting involved. I went over to the station yesterday to invite Emma and Henry to dinner with David and I, and Emma immediately turned me down saying she needed to ask Regina first. Can you believe it? My daughter needs permission from _that woman_ to take _her_ son to dinner with _her _parents. Regina is coming between us once again and I don't know how to eliminate Regina from the equation without losing Emma for good."

Ruby gave Mary Margaret an understanding look, but she couldn't comprehend the degree of her best friend's naiveté.

"You know that something is going on between them, right?" she asked almost rhetorically.

Mary Margaret paled considerably at the question and lowered her voice significantly so that the other patrons wouldn't overhear her.

"I've gathered that much. Emma won't talk to me about it but I'm sure that she has feelings for Regina and that they…appear to be reciprocated." Mary Margaret said with a sharp air of distain as if the taste of the words themselves were foul.

"Yeah, I hate to break it to you, but they've pretty much already U-Hauled it. I'm not sure there's much you can do about stopping their relationship now." Ruby said matter-of-factly, leaning over the counter on her forearms.

"U-Hauled?" Mary Margaret questioned with a confused expression.

"You know…they've already shacked up together…_and_ they share a son. It doesn't get more 'relationshippy' than that."

"Oh god." Mary Margaret said, burying her face in her hands and trying to purge her mind of the thought of her daughter and her former stepmother being intimate with each other. For a moment she thought she would be physically sick.

After a few deep calming breaths she was able to continue. "Even if Regina is attracted to Emma, that doesn't mean she isn't using her to get what she wants. Being close with Emma means she gets to have full access to Henry. I just don't know why Emma doesn't see it."

Ruby cleared he throat awkwardly. "Uh, well, Regina is smoking hot, you know that right?"

Mary Margaret shot an icy glare at Ruby.

"Even so…I don't think Emma is that shallow. Regina has her ways of getting close to people. She knows just what to say and how to act to get precisely what she wants. I need to get Emma away from her, I just don't know how…" Mary Margaret trailed off dejectedly.

Ruby bit at her lower lip contemplation of Mary Margaret's predicament. After a few moments an idea suddenly came to her.

"What if you've been going about this the wrong way?"

Mary Margaret's head tilted slightly and her forehead scrunched in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Ruby looked around to ensure no one was listening and leaned in a bit further towards her friend.

"Well, so far you've been trying to reason with Emma about Regina, right?"

"Yes, and that clearly hasn't worked out very well for me." Mary Margaret answered disappointedly.

"Exactly. Maybe you should try a different angle and try talking to Regina instead."

Mary Margaret raised a skeptical eyebrow at her friend.

"You honestly think Regina would back off if I asked her to?"

"Let's put it this way. If she really cares about Emma, maybe she'll listen, and just maybe she'll put some distance between them. If she's in it for selfish reasons only, I think you'll be able to tell. You know her better than anyone." Ruby explained, while grabbing Mary Margaret's to-go order from the kitchen.

"I guess you do have a point." Mary Margaret conceded while taking the paper bag from Ruby. "Emma did say that she'd like Regina and I to work out our differences. If I could just talk to Regina one-on-one without Emma around, maybe I can get to the bottom of all of this."

It was such a brilliant idea, Mary Margaret thought. She'd call Regina and invite her over to talk. Either she'd expose Regina for what she suspected she was up to, or perhaps they'd truly be able to work out their differences. Either way, it would get her one step closer to having a relationship with Emma.

"Thanks for the advice…and the lunch." Mary Margaret said, gesturing at the paper bag in her hand and leaving some bills on the counter for Ruby as she darted eagerly out the door to call Regina.

Ruby watched Mary Margaret as she hurried out of Granny's. When the door shut behind her, Ruby's lips pulled into a devious smirk.

* * *

><p>"So your grand plan is to have Snow White talk out her feelings with Regina? I fail to see how this will assist you in back your daughter's affections." Hook questioned as Cora carefully returned Ruby's heart to a leather satchel and pulled the drawstring shut.<p>

"You seem to be forgetting what brought everyone to this land in the first place. Regina's hatred for Snow compelled her lay the curse in order to deprive her of her happiness. Do you honestly think either of them will be able to set aside their complicated history in order to come to an agreement about this Emma?"

It was clear to Hook that Cora's intentions were to manipulate her daughter into running back to her for comfort. He certainly wasn't the most upstanding citizen, but even he could never imagine treating his own flesh and blood in that manner.

"You intend for all of this to backfire…all just to make her ripe for the picking. Well aren't you mum of the year?" Hook replied, with an obvious air of judgment to his voice.

Despite Hook's overt taunts, the woman never seemed to be rattled by anything. She was always composed, confident, and in control.

"Regina _will_ thank me later for everything that I've done for her. These people are no good for her and I will do anything that I need to do to remind her that she was destined for more than this _pathetic_ existence."

"And once you reunite with your daughter we will go after the crocodile?"

"Of course. Combined, Regina and I are strong enough to overpower anyone – even the Dark One."

* * *

><p>Mary Margaret strode with confidence down the street with her lunch tucked under one arm, eagerly dialing Regina's number with her phone in her other hand. As she pinned the phone to her ear with her shoulder, she waited through several painstaking rings for the line to finally pick up.<p>

_"Mary Margaret. To what do I owe the pleasure?"_

"We need to talk."

_"I suppose we do."_

"Are you available this afternoon around 3? My place?"

_"I'll have Emma pick up Henry from school. I'll see you at 3:30. _

Despite their conversation not straying much from formalities, Mary Margaret was still hopeful that the discussion with Regina would be fruitful. With that, she returned the phone to her coat pocket and rushed off to have an intimate lunch with her husband.

* * *

><p>Regina had been surprised when she saw Mary Margaret's name pop up on her cell phone. She sought to honor Emma's request for tolerance with regards to Mary Margaret, so instead of letting it go to voicemail, she picked up the call on the third ring.<p>

When Mary Margaret suggested that they talk, she reluctantly agreed. Emma had suggested that her and Mary Margaret attempt to work out their differences, so the least she could do was endure a conversation with the woman.

Once the phone call ended with Mary Margaret she called Emma.

_"Hey you."_

"Hey. Do you think you can pick Henry up from school after your shift? Your mother called. She wants to talk."

_"Oh. Yeah, sure, I'd love to spend some time with the kid. Just promise me a hellmouth won't open with the two of you in the same room."_

"Hellmouth?"

_"Don't tell me you've never seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer…?"_

"I hate to disappoint you dear, but I have not."

_"It's now on the running list of things you and I are going to watch... Is it okay if I take Henry out for a bit? I think him and I need a little fun time."_

"Yes – just don't spoil him too much, and make sure he has enough time to complete his homework. I will be home in time to prepare dinner."

_"Okay, see you then."_

Regina stared at the phone in her hand and couldn't help but feel a looming concern regarding the discussion she was going to have with Mary Margaret. Of course Regina had the best of intentions, but she knew how easily emotions flared in the presence of Snow White of all people.

Regina had promised Emma that she would try to work things out with Mary Margaret, so she would stay true to her word. She owed Emma that much.

* * *

><p>Mary Margaret had been waiting anxiously for Regina's arrival since she got home from school. When the knock was heard at her door, she was already so worked up that she nearly jumped out of her skin. She rushed towards the door, but forcibly slowed herself down as she neared it, counting to five and taking a deep breath before turning the knob and pulling open the door.<p>

"Regina." Mary Margaret said, as she inclined her head towards her guest.

"Snow." Regina returned, moving past Mary Margaret into the entryway of the loft.

Mary Margaret shut the door and turned towards Regina.

"Would you like a cup of tea? I just put the pot on."

Regina pulled off her trench coat and hung it on the rack near the door.

"Yes, thank you."

Mary Margaret hurried back to the kitchen to prepare the tea as Regina lingered silently in the foyer.

Regina avoided touching anything like the plague as it appeared as though every surface in Mary Margaret's apartment was encased in a layer of something filthy or god forbid, _sticky_.

Mary Margaret prepared the tea and set two mugs down on the table in the living room and motioned for Regina to take a seat across from her on the sofa.

Regina sat down across from Mary Margaret and primly crossed her legs. She pulled uneasily at her pencil skirt, attempting to smooth out invisible creases.

After a few uncomfortable moments of silence, Mary Margaret figured that she should be the one to begin the conversation as it was her suggestion that they meet to talk in the first place.

"I asked you here for a specific reason, Regina. You and I have had our differences, but we have one thing in common right now, and that is Emma. All of our feelings about past aside, what are your intentions with my daughter?"

Regina gritted her teeth together and thought carefully about how to approach that question with Mary Margaret. Her intentions with Emma were nothing but honorable but she hadn't exactly planned out their future for them, nor had she and Emma had an opportunity to discuss what exactly they were or what they intended to be to one another.

Regina wanted nothing more than to tell the pixie-haired brunette to take her questions and shove them up a dark place, but Regina reminded herself that she was here for Emma and for Henry. This conversation was going to happen eventually whether she wanted it to or not, so she did her best to answer calmly and truthfully.

"I care deeply for Emma and I have no intentions of hurting her." She said in a low tone, wrapping her hands tightly around the mug Mary Margaret had deposited in front of her and taking a small sip.

Regina appeared to be telling the truth, but Mary Margaret wasn't satisfied just yet.

"But why _Emma_? Why _my_ daughter, of all people? You could have _anyone_, Regina."

Regina rolled her eyes at her former stepdaughter, placing the mug back down on the table in front of her.

"It's not as though I_ intended_ to develop feelings for the child of my greatest enemy!" Regina snapped, gesturing at Mary Margaret with her hand.

Regina felt her anger rising to a boil inside her and fought to force it back down and remain in control. She could easily kill Mary Margaret without lifting a finger, but for her to have any chance at a relationship with Emma and Henry, she needed to make this work.

Regina exhaled deeply and looked up once again at Mary Margaret. This time, she continued in a more patient tone.

"This is the last thing I would have ever wanted for myself, but that doesn't change what Emma and I feel for one another."

As Regina spoke of her feelings for Emma, Mary Margaret noticed the softness that overtook her eyes. It was clear that Regina felt something for Emma, but that didn't mean that her intentions were pure. Mary Margaret's heart was telling her to believe the woman who had one once selflessly saved her life, but reason reminded her that Regina betrayed her at every turn. When it came to Emma and Henry, she felt that she should owed it to them to be cautious.

"I can't help but think that this _fling_ with Emma is you still trying to get back at me for what happened to Daniel. Your curse failed, so now you're getting close to Emma in order to keep Henry and continue to torment me in the process!"

Regina let out a low mocking chuckle.

"Don't flatter yourself, dear." Regina said as she waved her hand dismissively in her former stepdaughter's direction. "As insufferable as I find you, and regardless of how much I still blame you for what happened to Daniel, I grew tired of that whole endeavor years ago. My happy ending is no longer dependent upon your eternal misery - all I need is my son."

Mary Margaret was taken aback by how easily their blood feud was dismissed by Regina. After all of the time they spent literally waging wars against each other, she couldn't believe how easily Regina had abandoned it for – of all things – motherhood. If Regina's concerns were about being a good mother, first and foremost, then she had to appreciate Mary Margaret's concerns regarding Emma.

"Then you _must_ understand how I feel about Emma. You've taken her away from me _twice_ now. All I want to do is get to know her and to be a part of her life – of Henry's life. What if someone prevented you from being with Henry? It's hurting me and its hurting Emma. If you truly care for her as you say, you won't let this continue."

"Then what is it that you suggest?" Regina asked with bite to her tone, attempting to mask the pain that Mary Margaret's words caused her by channeling the icy demeanor of the Evil Queen.

"Regardless of what you may believe, I have made no attempt to interfere in your relationship with Emma."

Mary Margaret shook her head at her former stepmother and snapped up with frustration from her chair. She turned to face away from Regina, folding her arms tightly across her chest. When she snapped around to meet Regina's gaze her eyes were pleading.

"Can't you see that her relationship with you is what is destroying her? She's unable to deal with anything else right now because she's too busy worrying about you! I'm concerned for her, and being wedged in between us is only causing her more pain."

Regina's breath caught in her lungs as though someone had reached in to pull her heart straight from her chest. The idea that she could the source of Emma's troubles was too painful of a burden for her to bear.

"Do you have a point or do you just wish to blame me for everything going wrong with your daughter?" Regina snapped angrily, but her voice cracked ever so slightly.

"Ask her to move out." Mary Margaret blurted out while she still had the courage.

"What?" Regina asked, thrown off completely by what sounded almost like a command.

"Living there with you and Henry – it's too much too soon. If she has her own place I think it will help." Mary Margaret explained tentatively.

Regina pushed out of her chair and bridged the gap between her and Mary Margaret.

"So you're telling me that I should kick Emma out of my house? You honestly think _that_ will bode well for her mental and emotional stability? If I send her away it will affirm _every_ fear she has about getting close to anyone. Do you really want to do that to her? You might as well buy her a one way ticket back to Boston!"

Mary Margaret swallowed what felt like a golf ball in her throat. No matter what form Regina was in, Evil Queen, the Mayor, or just Regina, she was unnervingly intimidating. Her mouth felt agonizingly dry all of a sudden and she wished that her cup of tea was still within reach.

"I'm not saying that you should just kick her out. Just…tell her you want things to slow down and that you think it will be better for all of you in the long run. I'm not asking you to break up with her, Regina…I'm just asking you to give her space."

"We're not together!" Regina shouted back at Mary Margaret reflexively.

Regina had been shocked by her own outburst. "I..I don't know _what _we are, and frankly it isn't any of your business." she responded with an almost imperceptible quiver to her voice.

Mary Margaret's expression softened a little and she gave Regina a sympathetic look. She knew Regina well enough to understand how hard it was for her to express anything akin to actual feelings.

"Regardless of whether or not you're actually in a relationship, you are _something_ to each other, Regina. You said it yourself. As much as I hate to admit it, she will listen to you."

Regina considered Mary Margaret's proposition for a moment. Perhaps things with Emma were going a bit fast, and although it wasn't causing an issue for her, it may be overwhelming for Emma. There was no way she'd ask Emma to move out, but perhaps having a conversation with her about what was best for both of them may not be a bad idea.

"To prove to you that I have changed, I'll talk to Emma. I won't make any promises because I refuse to rob her of the ability to choose for herself. There is no greater agony than being unable to control your own destiny."

Without waiting for a response, Regina strode over to the door, grabbed her trench coat from the hook and slung it gracefully over her shoulders.

"Regina, wait." she heard Mary Margaret call hesitantly from behind her as she took a step towards her.

"What else could you possibly want from me?" Regina snarled as she turned back around.

"I just wanted to..thank you." Mary Margaret stuttered.

"No need to thank me, dear. Regardless of whether or not we had this little chat, I have always and will always have Emma's best interests at heart."

Satisfied that she had sufficiently made her point, she spun on her heel and exited the loft, the rickety door clattering shut behind her.

* * *

><p>Excited to spend some quality one-on-one time with her son, Emma pulled up to the school a few minutes early and sat in her cruiser, eagerly waiting for Henry to appear.<p>

Before the curse broke, she used to greet Henry right outside, standing with the other parents. After everything that's happened with the curse, a little space was probably what he wanted, especially when your mothers are the Savior and the Evil Queen. With everything the kid had been through, he deserved some consideration, so she decided to wait for him in the cruiser.

Emma found herself tapping her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel as she watched the clock tick painstakingly closer to 3:30. She was nervous about how everything would go with Regina and Mary Margaret, but she was also trying to stay focused on Henry.

"One thing at a time, Swan." she muttered to herself, blowing out a long puff of air.

She then caught sight of Henry in the corner of her eye, exiting the school with a group of other kids. Henry looked around for several moments before he realized Emma was waiting there for him instead of Regina. His previously carefree expression disappeared, and he jogged across the street towards the cruiser with a look of dread.

"Emma…" he choked out as she stepped out of the cruiser to greet him.

"Everything's fine, kid." she reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your mom had some things to do, so I figured I'd pick you up and we could spend some time together. That sound okay?"

"Sure." He nodded, forcing a smile.

Emma opened the passenger door of the cruiser for Henry to get in. After she hopped into her side of the car and settled into the driver's seat, she turned to address Henry's sudden change in demeanor.

"You know I wouldn't lie to you about your mom, right?" she said, hoping that her son would reveal what exactly was on his mind.

"Yeah." Henry said flatly.

"Then why do you still look like I ran over your dog?"

Henry shot Emma a glare that looked way too much like Regina's.

After a moment he let out a tired sigh and continued tentatively. "I know this may sound weird, but...sometimes I miss how things were before the curse broke."

"What do you mean?" she prompted him gently for clarification.

"Even though I knew something wasn't right, it was normal. It felt…safe."

Emma's heart sank. She desperately wanted to reach out to him and pull him tightly against her and never let go, but she held herself back. In order to help the kid, she had to keep him talking.

"And you don't feel safe now?" she asked, managing to mask the sadness behind her voice.

Henry fiddled apprehensively with the straps on his backpack and pulled it closer to his chest.

"I do, I just…I feel like something bad can happen to you or mom…and it's all because of me. If I hadn't forced you to break the curse…you would both be safer." Henry said almost shamefully, averting his eyes.

Now that her son revealed what was troubling him she gave in to the overwhelming need for contact. She reached over and gently gave his forearm a squeeze until he looked back up at her.

"Oh, Henry…none of what's happening is your fault. This curse, me being the savior, well…it was years in the making and nothing either of us did was going to change that. I know things seem a little scary right now but I promise you, nothing is going to happen to your mom or me. Things will get better, it's just going to take a little time for us to sort it all out."

Henry managed a small but genuine smile in return to Emma's words.

"I hope so. I just want everyone to be happy. We're finally all together again…"

"Me too, Henry."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, appreciating that they both finally had what they wanted – a family – and they both wanted nothing more than to hold onto it with everything they had.

"So…" Emma said awkwardly, pulling her hand away to turn the key in the ignition with the eight cylinders of the cruiser roaring to life.

"What do you say we hit up the arcade for a few rounds of Street Fighter? And this time no spamming hadokens with Ryu…that's basically cheating."

Henry returned the suggestion with an impish grin. "Fineeeee! But if I win, you have to buy me this week's issue of Batman."

"Yeah, sure, _if_ you win, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve…you haven't seen me play with Cammy yet…" she warned him with a comical waggle of her eyebrows as she pulled the cruiser from the curb onto the roadway and began making their way towards the arcade.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Regina had sent Henry upstairs to get ready for bed and the two women settled onto the couch in the TV room for a relaxing night at home.<p>

Regina had nestled herself comfortably within Emma's arms and they were both covered in a warm throw blanket. Resting her head against Emma's chest she could feel the soft thudding of the blonde's steady heartbeat in her ear. Emma had her hands resting over Regina's and was running her thumb absentmindedly across Regina's skin. In that moment she felt so completely relaxed – so safe and warm – that she could almost be lulled to sleep by the comforting sound of Emma's heartbeat.

They hadn't bridged the subject of what occurred during Regina's time at Mary Margaret's apartment during dinner for obvious reasons, but Emma was overflowing with curiosity. It was mostly due to the fact that she didn't get scathing phone calls from either woman and that neither of them appeared to be physically harmed, but regardless, she _had_ to know what happened. She caught herself nearly wearing a groove into Regina's hand where she had been caressing it, and figured it was now or never.

"So…how did things go with Mary Margaret today?" Emma asked, clearly sidestepping any attempt at subtlety. Emma's approach with things after all, was more…'beat things over the head with a blunt object', Regina mused.

Regina had assumed that it was only a matter of time before Emma would bring up the subject since it was clear that the brunette had been specifically avoiding it. As much as Regin knew that she and Emma had things they needed to discuss, the blonde seemed to be content and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt her.

Regina had decided that she would not ask Emma to move out as Mary Margaret had suggested, but would take care to pay more attention to the blonde's concerns and ensure that she took her needs into account. They would talk more at some point about their arrangement, but Regina selfishly wanted to enjoy a peaceful night alone with Emma.

In order to avoid an argument and to avoid lying to the blonde, Regina thought it would be best to give Emma the truthful but abridged version of the events.

"As well as could be anticipated I suppose." Regina answered vaguely in a tired hum against Emma's skin.

Emma narrowed her eyes down at the brunette, curious as to why she was holding back from her. Regina was not one to be shy about her feelings regarding Mary Margaret and she could always tell when Regina wasn't being forthcoming.

"That wasn't quite the answer I was expecting…" Emma said, hoping that Regina would continue with some sort of more detailed explanation.

"As much as your mother and I haven't seen eye-to-eye in the past, we do share the same concerns regarding you and Henry." Regina elaborated.

Regina could feel Emma's heartbeat quicken beneath her.

"Oh god…you didn't tell her about us, did you? I mean…what does she know, does she know we? God I think I'm gonna be sick -" Emma rambled until she felt Regina squeeze her hand.

" - I'd never share details of such a personal nature, dear, that certainly is none of her business. However, she did know enough. A mother always knows that sort of thing."

Regina's mind drifted back to when Cora found out about Daniel. Despite the measures she had taken to ensure that her mother wouldn't find out about their relationship, she knew something was going on. A mother _always_ knows.

"So does this mean the two of you will be getting along from now on?" Emma said in a light tone, but truly hoped for a serious answer. All she wanted was peace between the women and a chance to start over here in Storybrooke.

Regina sighed and wrapped an arm around Emma's chest, squeezing her tighter against her body.

"We may have some common interests, but our methods are entirely different."

"So…that's a maybe?" Emma asked tentatively, scrunching her face adorably.

"It means we're trying, my dear." Regina said, trying her best not to take all of the wind out of the blonde's sails.

"Well, I guess that's a start, right?" Emma said hopefully, tightening her embrace around Regina and placing a gentle kiss on her head.

Regina murmured in agreement against Emma and they enjoyed the closeness and the warmth in a few minutes of contended silence.

"As much as I'm enjoying you and this, I've got a little gift for you that I picked up while I was out with the kid today." Emma revealed.

"A gift? What for?" Regina asked, perplexed as to what occasion would inspire the blonde to get her a gift.

Emma shrugged. "Just because. When Henry and I were out this afternoon, I spotted it and I couldn't resist buying it for you."

Regina tried not to groan in protest as the blonde wiggled from her grasp and dashed into another room to grab the gift. Suddenly cold and empty on the couch, Regina waited eagerly for Emma to re-appear as she pulled the blanket tightly around her trying to retain any remaining warmth.

After what felt like centuries but was probably only a minute or so, Emma reappeared, almost stumbling into the room with something hidden behind her back. She knelt in front of Regina, brimming with nervousness and excitement.

After a few moments she whipped an arm around from behind her back and proudly displayed the gift with both hands in front of her, waiting for Regina's reaction.

It took Regina a few moments to realize what exactly the blonde was holding.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" she inquired with a sassy drawl.

"Yes ma'am." Emma confirmed proudly with a glimmer in her eyes as she held the box set. "You keep promising you'll watch stuff with me, and now we finally have a night to ourselves…so…this is the perfect opportunity! Plus, I mean, Buffy is _classic_. You need to see it."

Regina rolled her eyes at the blonde, but softened the blow with a bright smile.

"Alright, dear. If it would please you..." she said feigning reluctant agreement.

Emma flushed. "Woman, if you start talking about what will please me we won't get through one episode of this thing!" she said, shaking the box set.

"Oh!" Emma said suddenly as her face lit up with excitement. "You load this up while I go make us some popcorn! This is gonna be awesome!" she said as she practically shoved the box set into Regina's hands and ran off into the kitchen to make the popcorn.

Regina couldn't help but smile and chuckle softly and the blonde's child-like enthusiasm as she darted from the room. The brunette had seen so much of the darker and serious side of Emma lately. It was refreshing to see her enjoying herself and feeling at home, for what she was sure was a first for Emma.

* * *

><p>Five minutes later Emma plopped back onto the couch with a gigantic bowl of excessively salty and buttery popcorn. Much to Regina's surprise, the blonde came prepared with a pile of napkins as well as tall glasses of water (to counteract the salt, no doubt).<p>

Emma chomped enthusiastically on fistfuls of popcorn while Regina daintily deposited the occasional kernel into her mouth, chewing with her mouth closed and dabbing at her fingers and mouth with a napkin.

Between scenes Emma turned to observe Regina's bizarre popcorn eating practices and decided that something _had_ to be done. Stuffing an aggressively large and buttery fistful of popcorn into her mouth, and being sure to get plenty of butter all over her face she leaned over towards the brunette.

"Hey, Regina, I think you missed a spot." she mumbled through a mouthful of popcorn as she closed the gap between the women and planted a gigantic buttery kiss on the brunette's lips as she turned towards her.

Regina pushed Emma back playfully and wiped away all of the stray butter with her napkin as Emma continued to chomp away at another fistful of popcorn with a grin on her face. Regina was sure that Emma was chewing like that just to proudly display all of the stray kernels in her teeth.

"You are a neanderthal, Miss Swan." Regina said, unable to hide her smile.

"Well I don't know who taught you to eat popcorn but you were doing it wrong. I was forced to take matters into my own hands." Emma said matter-of-factly as she tossed a kernel at Regina, hitting her square in the nose before dropping onto the floor.

Regina wiggled her nose and leaned in slowly towards Emma, so close that their lips were almost touching.

"I'm beginning to think you're just trying to get a rise out of me." Regina said in a low sultry voice.

"Maybe…" Emma egged her on a bit. "But that's for _after_ we get a few good episodes of Buffy in. After all, if you're going to be giving me magic lessons, you should know where my only knowledge on the subject comes from."

"They practice magic as well? I thought this was about the tiny blonde girl killing all of the vampires?" Regina inquired with an adorable look of genuine confusion on her face.

"Well if we would actually pay attention, you would know that there's a whole world of magic that goes along with the slaying…and a lot of snark. Seriously this show was made for you I don't know _how_ you haven't watched it yet." Emma rambled.

"Alright dear, but after we watch, I get to give you a few lessons of my own…" Regina said, closing the microscopic gap between them and capturing Emma's lips in a passionate kiss. Nipping and sucking at Emma's salty lower lip, the brunette couldn't help but let out a low moan, being turned on by her own assertiveness.

When they finally separated, Emma appeared glossed over with lust, her jaw still hanging open with surprise.

"Okay…maybe just _one_ more episode…" Emma stuttered, settling back into less tempting position next to the brunette. Clearing her throat she threw an arm around Regina and pulled her close.

Regina cocked and eyebrow at the blonde and turned back towards the television, content to watch whatever Emma wanted as long as she could remain this happy and carefree.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you all for patiently awaiting this update. My mother unfortunately had to have a major surgery, so I had to put everything on hold and travel back home to be there for her. Thankfully, everything went well and I have since returned home and have been diligently working on getting you all a quality update.**

**My apologies again for this update taking a while, but I hope you enjoy.**

**As a side note, I've begun working on a few other things simultaneously with this story, so updates may take between a week or two, given that the chapters I produce for this story are pretty long.**

**Thank you again for reading, and as always, I appreciate any reviews and feedback :)**

* * *

><p>Emma woke to a stirring brunette who had been previously sleeping comfortably in her arms. Emma cracked a reluctant eye open only to be met by the unpleasant stream of sunlight cutting through the partially open shades that adorned the bedroom window.<p>

"What time is it?" Emma groaned in a sleepy voice as she covered her eyes with the back of her arm.

Regina rolled over to face the blonde and reached out, pulling her flush against her.

"Henry will be up soon, dear. _Someone_ has to feed our son and get him off to school." Regina explained softly, running her fingers through the blonde's messy locks.

Emma hummed at the gentle touch of Regina's fingertips along her scalp.

"Can't we stay in bed just a little while longer? I've got the late shift tonight." Emma implored.

"Well, we do have a little bit of time…but I don't think that is time well spent if you insist upon trying to sleep." Regina replied coyly in a low sultry voice as she slipped a hand up Emma's thin tank top and ran her fingers along her ridiculously toned abdomen.

Emma pulled her arm down from her face and cupped her hand behind Regina's neck.

"I could get used to waking up like this." Emma said as she pulled Regina in for a kiss.

Regina melted into the kiss, as she always did when she felt the blonde's lips against hers. Her stomach clenched, however, at the mention of making their sleeping arrangements a regular habit. She thought back to what Mary Margaret had said and was still reluctant to bring any of it up to the Emma. Upsetting the blonde was the very last thing she wished to do.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a suddenly very awake Emma had maneuvered her way on top of Regina, placing a trail of kisses down her neck while eagerly unbuttoning the brunette's silk pajama top.

The jarring ring of Emma's cell phone caused both women to nearly jump out of their skin.

Emma groaned and sat up, reaching and bending as far as she could to pull the cell phone off of the nightstand to see who the caller was.

"Who is it?" Regina asked with genuine concern.

"For fuck's sake…it's Mary Margaret." Emma explained impatiently. "This better be important." she mumbled as she accepted the call and pressed the phone to her ear.

Regina tensed at the mention of Mary Margaret and hoped that she wouldn't assume they'd already spoken about their current living arrangements.

"Swan." Emma answered flatly.

_"__Hi Emma, it's your moth-, uh Mary Margaret."_

"What can I do for you? I've got the late shift tonight so I really need to be getting back to bed…"

_"__Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know that you were working tonight. I was calling to see if you and maybe even Henry would like to help out with the Miner's Day preparations this year."_

"You're kidding me, right?"

_"__Um, no, why would I be kidding?"_

"Because you just called me at the ass crack of dawn when I should be sleeping, to ask me if I want to help out with – of all things - _event planning_. What part of that question isn't a joke?"

Regina was relieved to hear that the conversation was not about what Mary Margaret had asked her the previous day. She instead tried to calm the blonde down by running her hand up and down her free arm and leaning up to press gentle kisses behind her ear while Emma listened intently to her mother.

_"__You don't have to be so disrespectful, Emma. I know things aren't easy between us right now but we used to be friends. I'm just trying to spend time with you and Henry."_

Emma took a deep breath before answering. Even though Mary Margaret had the worst timing ever, she really was trying in her own twisted way. If Emma hoped to have any relationship with either of her parents, she was going to have to attempt to exercise some patience and keep an open mind.

"Fine. I'm sorry. But honestly, how are we still having Miner's Day with god knows who lurking around Storybrooke? Plus, didn't Regina always handle the planning with that anyway?"

Emma could almost hear Mary Margaret working herself up into a fit over the open air of the line at her mention of Regina. Perhaps she should have left that part out…

_"__I understand that Regina used to be Mayor and that she used to run Storybrooke, but things have since changed. I used to rule an entire kingdom, Emma, I think I can coordinate a small town event."_

Doing her best not to retaliate against her mother's biting words, Emma rubbed at her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"I'm sure you can handle it, I just don't see what I could possibly contribute. I'd be happy to help out in my official capacity as Sherriff, but beyond that I don't really think I'd be of any real use."

_"__I know that you haven't done this sort of thing in the past, but this is a whole new chapter of your life. You're a princess and our daughter and there are responsibilities and obligations that need to be fulfilled. We need to show everyone that Storybrooke has returned to the order of the Enchanted Forest and this is the perfect place to start."_

Emma stuffed her balled up fist into her mouth and bit down hard, trying not to scream.

"Tell her you need to go." Regina mouthed silently to Emma before the blonde opened her mouth to respond to her mother.

Whatever Mary Margaret had said clearly upset Emma, and the best option appeared to be to end the call and deal with it later.

Emma nodded in agreement at Regina and took a moment before responding her mother calmly.

"I really don't think this is a conversation we should be having right now. I need to get to sleep, so can we talk about this another time?"

_"__Okay, honey. Just promise me that you'll consider it?"_

"Sure."

_"__Thank you. Sleep well."_

Emma hung up the line and threw her phone across the room in anger. Regina held up a hand reflexively to stop the phone from colliding with the wall and exploding into thousands of pieces, letting the phone drop to the floor in a protected cushion of purple magic.

"I still can't believe that woman is my mother." Emma snapped, rolling off of Regina and pressing a pillow over her own face and groaning into it in frustration.

Regina gave Emma a sympathetic look.

"Neither can I, my dear. What did that infernal woman say to upset you this time?" she asked as she gently pried the pillow out of the blonde's tense grip and tossed it to the other side of the bed.

Emma sighed audibly, and turned to look a Regina. The brunette could see how she was fighting back tears. Regina wanted nothing more than to eviscerate Mary Margaret for causing Emma that kind of pain. If anyone was hurting Emma by their actions it was Mary Margaret.

Regina reached out to the blonde, grabbing her hand and giving it a tender squeeze, silently urging her to open up.

Emma chewed a bit at her bottom lip as she contemplated sharing her true feelings with Regina. For a moment, she considered burying the whole thing and just moving on. Things were going really well with Regina and the last thing she wanted was for Mary Margaret to get in the way of that. However, the concerned look she saw in Regina's eyes compelled reconsider. It was obvious that Regina cared about her and the brunette deserved openness and honesty regardless of how vulnerable or uncomfortable it made her feel.

"She thinks that I'm just going to do whatever she wants now because she's the queen and I'm the princess. We used to be friends, but now I don't feel like she knows me at all. There is _nothing _that I would hate more than to be forced into that type of life. I don't like people telling me what I can or can't do, or how I should act. I just want to be me, and I want her to understand that. I want her to care about me for the person that I am…like she used to…not for what I mean to her reputation and the future of her kingdom. It's as though I went from being a person to being property and it just…makes me sick."

Regina knew all too well what it felt like to be treated as property. Her mother had groomed her since birth to one day become queen. Unfortunately for Regina, the laws of the Enchanted Forest made it difficult to escape her mother's grasp. As a result, she ended up the queen of a much older man and the mother of a bratty over-indulged Snow White.

"Your mother always had a way of making everything about her. I suppose she had no chance of ever becoming something that resembles a considerate person given how indulged she was as a child. I'm afraid that may be something that your mother will never grow out of."

Emma threw up her arms dramatically in exasperation.

"This isn't the Enchanted Forest. I don't know where she gets off thinking she can just pretend like she's queen of freaking coastal Maine."

Glancing at the time, Regina sighed and pulled herself out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to wash up. She raised the volume of her voice slightly to be heard in the other room by Emma who was now sitting up on the edge of the bed with her face buried in her hands.

"Royals don't take easily to being stripped of their power or title. We may be in Storybrooke now but with the restoration of their memories also comes their thirst for power."

"Well I don't want to be one of them." Emma whined, dragging herself up from the bed and walking over to where Regina had been bent over the sink while washing her face. Emma leaned against the doorway, arms folded, continuing to pout as she spoke.

"I may have been royalty for like five minutes but that doesn't mean I can just drop everything and assume that life. I can't imagine being a _princess_ after 28 years of living alone as an orphan in a different world with a made up last name and only enough belongings to carry around in a trash bag."

Regina dried off her face and hands with a towel and reached out to tenderly cup the blonde's cheek, stroking it gently with her thumb, and starting intently into her eyes.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, dear. Your mother may be persistent in her efforts but never abandon who you are for someone else. It may be difficult for your parents at first, but they need to accept you for who you are."

Emma seemed to understand where Regina was coming from, but then her expression morphed from accepting to perplexed.

"Why aren't you like them? You're a royal."

Regina dropped her hand and exhaled deeply. She turned to pull her robe off of the hook on the back of the bathroom door and pulled it tightly around herself.

"I wasn't always a royal, nor did I ever want to be one. That was my mother's dream, not mine. I may have ended up becoming the queen, but I never wanted to be anyone but Regina."

No matter how hard Regina tried to move on, everything always led back to Daniel. Despite all of the years that had passed, and even after all of the good that came into her life with Henry and now Emma – there was a part of her that clung desperately to the pain and the anger. The part of her was scared that if she finally did let go of it all, that it would be revealed that nothing of who she used to be all those years ago still remained.

It didn't escape Emma how Regina's demeanor darkened every time she spoke of her mother. The brunette was holding back something and she yearned desperately to understand, wanting nothing more than to comfort Regina.

"I know what happened to your dad, I mean, I know he's passed since I saw you visiting him that night in the cemetery…but what about your mom? You always talk about her, but obviously she's not here in Storybrooke so…where is she?"

At the mention of her mother specifically, Regina seemed to instantly withdraw. Emma's heart began to race and she panicked briefly before Regina reached out and grabbed the blonde's hand. Emma's touch comforted Regina, and it provided her with the courage to discuss the darker corners of her past.

"After I had married the king, in time I realized that I could no longer bear to live another moment trapped within the confines of my mother's control. I chose to - _purge_ - my mother's influence from my life, but by that point it was already too late for me. I had wasted so many years trying to be everything that my mother wished me to be and all I had to show for it was a dark heart, an empty soul and a misguided curse. Don't make the same mistakes as I did, Emma. Don't let your parents rob you of your ability to choose what your happy ending shall be."

Emma's heart clenched inside her chest, nearly robbing her of her breath as she read between the lines. Regina had been driven to such a point of misery that she had to kill her own mother in order to pursue her own chance at happiness. Emma felt like a complete idiot for complaining about Mary Margaret when what Regina had gone through with her mother was clearly so much worse.

"I'm sorry, Regina…I didn't know…I didn't mean to –" Emma stuttered apologetically.

"It's alright, dear. You couldn't have known." Regina reassured her, offering the blonde a weak smile and a squeeze of her hand.

The brunette dropped her gaze while loosening the hold on Emma's hand as she moved to step around her. Emma clamped down on Regina's hand and pulled her back in before she could escape. Regina tentatively lifted her head and met the blonde's tear glossed hazel eyes.

"For what it's worth…even though I know you've been through a lot, and I can't even imagine what it was like for you - it all brought you here, gave us Henry, and…maybe I'm a selfish asshole but I wouldn't give up our family for anything in the world." Emma stammered out, flushing a bit at her embarrassing lack of eloquence.

"Neither would I – now why don't you head back to bed dear, you're going to have a long night ahead of you. I'll see to Henry." Regina said, leaning in to place a chaste kiss on Emma's lips before pulling away and leaving the blonde by herself in the bedroom.

Emma sighed loudly after she watched Regina depart and trudged back towards the bed, plopping down face first.

Emma felt as though she could never get anything right these days. As hard as she tried to please and care for everyone, she always managed to say or do the wrong thing. Regina didn't appear angry with her, but she was certainly saddened by having to discuss her past and her mother.

As the blonde shut her eyes and tried to force her troubles temporarily from her mind, she resolved that she would figure out a way to make it up to Regina.

* * *

><p>Gold had been tinkering around with various artifacts in his shop when a purple cloud of magic appeared in front of him, dissipating to reveal the all too familiar form of Cora Mills.<p>

"Hello, Rumple." Cora purred through a grin.

Gold on the other hand, didn't seem as delighted to see her.

"I knew that news of your untimely demise was simply too good to be true. Regina was indeed a remarkable student, but neither her power nor her cunning were quite your equal match."

Gold studied Cora's expression carefully as he stepped out from behind the counter and approached the older brunette.

"We both know you aren't here simply to reminisce, so what do I owe the pleasure?" Gold asked directly, not inclined to entertain Cora longer than he had to.

Cora tilted her head and clicked her tongue, still smiling as brightly as a cheshire cat.

"Why so cross? Does it bother you that I was able to move between realms with ease when the same task took you a dark curse and decades of scheming to achieve?"

Gold scowled at his former apprentice. He didn't have the time or the patience to deal with Cora's games, as he was preoccupied with other more important tasks.

He repeated his question, this time much firmer in order to demonstrate that her next utterance should be the answer he is looking for.

"_Why_ are you here?" he asked with a clear bite to his tone.

"I'm not here for _you_, my dear Rumple -" she reassured him, stepping forward and gently caressing his cheek with the back of her hand.

"- I'm here for my daughter." she revealed, dropping her hand and turning to examine various objects around the shop.

"If that's all you're after, then why bring the pirate? You are well aware of the precarious nature of our history." Gold asked, watching her suspiciously.

"How observant of you. I knew it wouldn't take you long to realize that I was the one here in Storybrooke." Cora replied as she picked up a trinket from a nearby bookshelf and pretended to examine it with interest.

"Hook is simply a means to an end. He assisted me in gathering what I needed to come to this land." Cora explained, looking around and taking in her less than impressive surroundings and replacing the trinket back on the shelf.

"So he's what, a peace offering to ensure that I don't interfere with your plans for Regina?"

"More like a gift in exchange for information regarding Emma and the boy Henry."

Gold took several steps towards Cora, his cane clacking loudly against the old wooden floors with every step.

"And what makes you think I have any desire to assist you, dearie? We hardly parted on what could be considered_ amicable_ terms."

"Oh, Rumple…I thought your little shriveled heart would have mended after all of these years." Cora taunted him with a smile, laying the palm of her hand delicately on his chest above his heart.

Gold refused to react to Cora's attempts at rattling him. He continued to stare icily into her eyes as he waited silently for her to continue.

"Once I have Regina back I'll let you do whatever you wish with the pirate."

"What makes you think that the pirate alone would be enough to satisfy such a debt?" Gold snapped back at her, stepping back out of Cora's reach.

"We have a common purpose that bonds us. We both seek to be reunited with our estranged offspring."

Gold was surprised how much Cora had learned about his son and his plans for the dark curse, but he wouldn't dare reveal that to her.

"Appealing to my fatherly sentimentality won't be enough either."

"You haven't changed one bit, my dear Rumple. Always a man of business." Cora said with a chuckle as she waved her hand in the air, conjuring a large wooden from a cloud of purple smoke on the counter behind Gold.

"I have procured the means by which you can finally locate your son. Should you choose to offer your assistance, it will be yours."

Gold turned to examine the contents of the box, his eyes widening at what was revealed inside.

"Choose wisely."

* * *

><p>Emma was gathering her belongings for her shift on patrol when she heard a light knock on the door of her office. She looked up to find David standing in the doorway with a tray of two soft drinks and a brown paper bag of what could only be some deliciously greasy dinner from Granny's given how the contents had already begun permeating the paper.<p>

Emma felt that there was something genuine about her father's warm demeanor, but she was still hesitant to believe he was standing in her office without any meddling on her mother's part.

"She didn't send you, did she?" Emma greeted him skeptically.

David's expression fell slightly, but his eyes maintained their sparkle and warmth. "I can't want some one-on-one time with my daughter without it involving my wife?"

Emma shrugged as she grabbed her leather jacket from the coat rack and pulled it over her shoulders. David had respected her wishes and given her the space she asked for, so she figured she should probably throw her father a bone.

"Alright, but you'll have to ride along with me in the cruiser because I'm about to head out to patrol."

David smiled brightly, elated that his daughter had accepted his olive branch of dinner. He had second-guessed himself the entire way over to the station, thinking for sure that Emma would reject his gesture of good will.

"Lead the way." He replied enthusiastically, stepping aside to let Emma guide him to the cruiser.

* * *

><p>The first half hour into Emma's patrol was painstakingly quiet. Thankfully, she had a double bacon burger and fries to occupy herself with to fill the uncomfortable silence. After both of them had polished off the remains of their dinner, David summoned up the courage to speak first, crumpling up the paper bag and clearing his throat awkwardly to announce his intentions.<p>

"So, how are things with Henry…and Regina?"

Emma stiffened slightly at David's mention of Regina. She wasn't sure what David's intentions were when he showed up at the station with dinner, but she didn't expect him to breach the subject of Regina so quickly or directly. Since David was clearly making an effort to be candid with her, she supposed that she should return the gesture and answer as openly and honestly as possible.

"Things are going really well, actually. Henry is a lot happier now that he gets to spend more time with both of his moms. Plus, Regina is a great cook, so I could honestly do a lot worse…" she explained as she turned the cruiser around another quiet corner of Main Street.

David forced a smile in show his support for his daughter. As reluctant as he was about Emma spending so much of her time with Regina, all he really wanted was for his daughter to be happy. After everything Emma had been through in order to save them, they at the very least owed her that much.

"I'm glad to hear that you and Henry are well. That's all I really want for you, Emma."

Emma's heart clenched in her chest as she processed her father's kind and selfless words. Growing up in the foster system, she never had anyone truly express care or concern over her without having some sort of other vested interest. Her well being had always been directly tied to someone's meal ticket, nothing more.

She wondered how David and Mary Margaret could actually get along with each other. They seemed to be completely different people at the core. As much as she was butting heads with her mother, she was growing to actually like her father. Briefly, she wondered if she and David would have been close if she had grown up with him.

Despite the difficulty she was having with Mary Margaret, Emma could see that David was making his own individual effort to be a part of her life, and he deserved a chance.

"Thank you. I should apologize too. I know my attitude has been all over the place lately and you don't deserve that. I've just been kind of overwhelmed with everything –"

"– and your mother really hasn't helped at all with that, has she?" David finished for her.

Emma turned to her father and met his eyes. For the first time she realized that looking at his eyes was almost as though she were looking into a mirror. They were both so similar, how hadn't she noticed that before? And how did he always know the right thing to say? Is this what parents are supposed to be like?

Before she was able to reveal too much emotion with her eyes, she looked back towards the road, flipped on the turn signal and took another turn down a quiet block in town. After a few beats, she let out a long puff of air before answering.

"No she hasn't. Before, when she was just Mary Margaret, we had this – connection. But now, I feel like she's a completely different person. It's as though she doesn't know me at all and that the friendship we had over the past year meant nothing." Emma said dejectedly, unable to mask her obvious pain and disappointment.

As much as David loved his wife, he understood how Emma felt. Due to his coma, he didn't have two sets of memories floating around in his mind like all of the others did. He could see the differences in everyone, so he could imagine how unsettling it all was for Emma. Snow White and Mary Margaret Blanchard were completely different people.

"Your mother comes from a much different world than you and I. Growing up as royalty gives you a distinctly different way of seeing the world. What I know for sure is that your mother has a good heart and she cares deeply for you – it may just take her a little longer to figure it all out."

Emma's face scrunched up in confusion. None of what her father just said made any sense.

"Wait – what do you mean, different worlds? You were a prince."

David sighed and gazed out the side window of the cruiser, watching as the idle storefronts drifted by.

"There's much you don't know about us, Emma. I'm beginning to see how much of the truth behind our stories was omitted by Henry's book. I spent most of my life as a lowly shepherd – I most certainly was not a prince, nor did I ever want to be one. But that's a more complicated story better suited for another time."

Emma was floored by her father's revelation, so much that it took her a minute to realize that her mouth was hanging open before she snapped it shut again. No wonder why Mary Margaret and David were such different people. It all made so much sense now, and she felt foolish for not giving David much of a chance earlier, as they really did have so much in common.

Her gut told her that David was being honest about Mary Margaret, but she still couldn't help but feel that her mother wasn't trying at all.

"I know that you believe in Mary Margaret, but I've tried talking to her and she just blatantly ignores everything that I say. I'm happy with the way things have turned out with Henry and Regina but she just won't stop with the 'Evil Queen' thing. It's my life and my choices, and honestly I don't think either of you have earned the right to have a say in who I choose to spend my time with, especially now that I'm a grown adult. That ship kind of sailed the moment you two sent me away."

David cringed at Emma's stab regarding her abandonment. A part of him wanted to defend himself, but he knew that if he wanted to make any progress with his daughter that now wasn't the time. Regardless of their reasoning for sending her away, she grew up alone, without parents and without love. All of them have to bear the consequences of that choice.

"I respect that you're an adult and that we have no power over what you are to do with your life, but that doesn't mean we ever stop worrying about you or that we ever stop wanting to protect you from the evils in this world."

Emma shot a side-glance at David before turning her attention back to the road. "Regina isn't evil anymore, David."

David shrugged. "She's changed, that much I can see – but you didn't know her back in our world. You haven't seen the atrocities that Regina is capable of."

Emma was growing tired of how everyone hung Regina's past over her head. They were right in that she hadn't seen what Regina was like back then, but that doesn't mean she isn't able to appreciate the consequences and the stigmas of someone with a less than honorable past. It took her years to overcome being judged for doing a stint in prison. For the most part, she had really turned her life around, and she can see that Regina is wholeheartedly trying to do the same.

"I know that she's done some unforgivable things, but so have I. You don't have any idea who I was before I came to Storybrooke, or what I'm capable of either, yet you trust me without question. Regina and I both have dark pasts but it doesn't mean that it has to dictate our future."

"Fair enough." David said, holding both hands up in the air in a gesture of surrender. "I'll talk to your mother, but I can't make any promises, as she's quite the stubborn woman and she usually needs to work through things in her own way. All I ask is that you show her some patience and give her a chance."

David really wasn't asking that much of her, so despite her feelings towards her mother, she couldn't help but agree to his small request.

Emma let out a long exhale and nodded as she turned to glance at her father. "Yeah, I can do that."


End file.
